Moon Senshi: Children of Destiny
by Sailor Titan
Summary: In The Neo Silver Millenium, Queen Serenity is loved by all. But there is a darker side of her rule that remains hidden under a quiet layer of censorship. The Moon Senshi are reborn in the future to stop the oppression that laid waste to their former land
1. Episode One: A Long Awaited Nightmare

_There was light--light so blinding that Tokimo had to shield her eyes._

_Then the light dimmed; a white garden spread out before her. The castle of a strange kingdom sparkled dazzlingly against a painfully bright sky. Was it the Moon Kingdom? No--it wasn't like the pictures she had seen before...this castle was taller, and its spires cut majestically into the sky. Long, fragile arches spread out on either side of the castle's walls like the legs of a spider. The flowers in the garden were the most peculiar Tokimo had ever seen: a rainbow of flower-shaped crystals that rested lightly on green stems. Each one looked like a brightly colored version of the Silver Crystal._

_And then, the castle exploded. The crystals shattered as turbulent winds ripped through them. A black castle, its walls covered in a swirling, inky texture, replaced the brilliant spires of the white one. The strange new castle rose up in daggers of darkened, putridly colored quartz. It was a gross parody of Crystal Tokyo. Was this the work of Black Moon Family? She shuddered at the bizarre, fang-like spires that loomed from the now-barren soil. _

* * *

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru  
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne  
Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode One:

"A Long Awaited Nightmare"

* * *

Tokimo woke up with a jump. What kind of a nightmare was that? No matter. It was her first day of school in Crystal Tokyo, and no freaky dream was going to ruin it. This was the chance to finally get away from the crowded, ocean-locked streets of Shiwaumi and into a freely spreading city on the land. She had been stuck out in the middle of the Pacific on a floating island, where there was no one especially interesting to talk to and certainly nowhere interesting to go--unless you liked hanging out with sharks. Thank god all that had finally changed with her father's transfer. Crystal Tokyo, the city of opportunity! It was the coolest place to be in 3014; only natural, since it was Queen Serenity's home town. City. Whatever.

Tokimo yawned lazily as she got up. Excitedly thinking of the day ahead, she peeled off her pajamas and took her shower; then she brushed her long, silky black hair--her mommy told her it was the prettiest in Shiwaumi--with her purple sparkly hairbrush. When she had finished all this, she glanced nonchalantly at the clock. School started at eight o'clock, and it was seven forty-five right now...

"CRAP!" she cried, gaping at the clock, "I'm gonna be late!" This wasn't a good way to start off her first day of school, Tokimo knew--but it was okay; If she ran most of the way, she'd probably still be there in plenty of time. It was a good thing she kept in good shape on her healthy breakfast of strawberry Pop-tarts. She ate the non-frosted kind, she thought proudly.

For most girls, the first day of high school was something both exciting and scary. Seeing as Tokimo wasn't afraid of much of anything, it was just exciting for her. She couldn't help but grin when she saw that her school was conveniently located across the street from a line of cool little stores; the plush animal shop was especially hard to resist taking a detour for. But what good was shopping without someone to shop with? She looked towards the group of students ahead of her, hoping to find a friendly-looking face.

Peering ahead of her, one hand shading her eyes, Tokimo saw a conspicuous group of five girls and a guy. One girl was extremely short with bright, sugar pink hair tied up in two bunny ears. Tokimo noticed how similar it was to the Crown Princess's hair; she wasn't sure whether that meant she was a big fan or Sailor Pinkmoon in disguise. She hoped it was Sailor Pinkmoon; imagine going to school with a celebrity! The four other girls had green, pink, red and light blue hair--practically a rainbow. The boy, who was incredibly short--almost girly-looking, too--had white hair and red eyes. These royal look-alikes were a bit much to be a coincidence, Tokimo decided; but then, there must be some kind of stupid law against sending the Crown Princess to an ordinary high school. She wanted to investigate this further, but felt it was better saved for an hour or two later when she had already made three or four friends to investigate with.

So Tokimo looked on--and soon she saw the most peculiar thing yet. A girl with dark hair was walking ahead; instead of the usual knee socks, she wore long, black tights. She walked all alone, mournfully moving toward school step by step. Her head was bowed and her stance was melancholy and bent over. If she was lonely, Tokimo thought, why wasn't she talking to anyone? There were all these people about--there was no reason to just stand all alone. Tokimo shrugged and ran ahead; she wouldn't be alone for long.

"Hello!" Tokimo said cheerfully, hoping to liven up the strange girl.

"Hello," said the girl quietly. Glancing uncomfortably in Tokimo's direction, she absentmindedly brushed her fingers through one of the two long strips of hair that fell down in front of her ears. These strips were longer than the rest of the girl's hair--apparently the hairdresser had missed a spot, Tokimo surmised.

"My name's Tokimo Joshi!" Tokimo continued happily, "And I'm a freshman. But I'm new in Crystal Tokyo, you see. I don't know anyone. Mind if I tag along?"

"No," the girl said indifferently. Tokimo looked at her, as if expecting something. The girl looked back at her, an expression of puzzlement on her face.

A few seconds later, comprehension dawned. "Oh! I'm, err, Yamiko. Yamiko Hoshino. I'm a freshman, too..." she replied, her nearly white complexion contrasting sharply against her now pink cheeks.

"Hey, look over there, Yami." Tokimo pointed towards the girl with the sugar pink hair.

"Don't call me Yami," Yamiko replied in annoyance. Tokimo shrugged.

"Anyway, Yamiko, look over there. Doesn't that look a bit odd?"

"A bit odd?" Yamiko replied, her cold blue eyes staring blankly in confusion. "Well, it's a lot of people with brightly colored hair, if that's what you mean..."

"No, no, not just that! I mean, look. The head one's got pink hair, and the other five--red, pink, blue, green. And then the boy. What do they remind you of, Yamiko?" Tokimo said, trying to sound suspenseful.

"Umm... clowns?" Yamiko suggested.

"No, no, no! They look like The Crown Princess and her posse, don't they?" Tokimo explained excitedly.

Yamiko looked at the group and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You have a point," she conceded. But why--" She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head in bewilderment. Then, turning her face away from Tokimo, she resumed her stern demeanor.

"Hmm?" Tokimo said.

"Okay, what do you want?" Yamiko said, looking at her with suspicion.

"Well..." Tokimo looked down at the ground and furrowed her brows in concentration. "Let's see. I'd like the next volume of Margaret comic anthology... you know, the big one they put out every week? And then I could use the next graphic novel of Peaches and Cream, and I'd like a new plushie--one of a bunny. I love bunnies. What's your favorite animal?"

Yamiko just stared in bewilderment. Tokimo stared back for a moment before continuing. "But, then, I don't think you want to buy me anything yet, do you? I mean, we just became friends, and my birthday isn't for another eight months." Tokimo had thought Yamiko's question was strange, but then, she had heard that Japanese people were really polite and very organized. Maybe they liked to know these things ahead of time.

"Your birthday?"

"Yeah. November 4th, 3000. When's yours?" Tokimo asked.

"November 4th, 2998." Yamiko mumbled. Her expression was so blank that she seemed almost zombie-like.

"Wow, what a weird coincidence! Our birthday is on the same day!" Tokimo replied excitedly.

"What?" Yamiko replied, snapped out of her daze by Tokimo's enthusiastic response.

"You know... November 4th. We've got the same birthday," Tokimo repeated, frowning unhappily. "Well, I thought it was cool, anyway."

Yamiko frowned and turned her head down toward the sidewalk. "That's weird," she half-mumbled. "You're not like a Scorpio at all. You're more of a Gemini..."

Tokimo blinked. There was an awkward pause.

"Oh!" she cried out as comprehension dawned on her face. "My zodiac! Yeah... I guess. So, would you like to go shopping after school today?" Maybe Yamiko just needed to feel included in something. She certainly wasn't warming up to her so far.

"Umm..." Yamiko turned away again; she seemed uncomfortable at the suggestion.

"Ahh, that's too bad," Tokimo replied. Maybe she didn't like shopping? "Well, we could go to my house. I have a ton of graphic novels! Er, maybe you don't like comics, either? My dad has some normal books..."

Yamiko sighed in resignation. "Okay. I guess reading sounds all right...you obviously aren't going to leave me alone until I agree to participate in something."

* * *

Yamiko's first class was English. She always thought that it was odd that everyone still learned English when Japanese was the official language of the world. But when she was young, her mother had told her that English was the standard second language before the queen's reign, and so--along with Japanese--everyone in the world still learned it now. The queen, in fact, was one of the few people who hadn't properly learned to speak it. Yamiko had to wonder at the competency of a ruler who wasn't even bilingual.

Tokimo grinned at her from across the room. Yamiko smiled weakly back; she wasn't yet sure whether Tokimo's attention was a blessing or a curse, and her half-hearted smile reflected her half-hearted enthusiasm.

Tokimo's concentration, however, was quickly distracted. Apparently, the young, pink-haired girl who Tokimo had sworn was the Crown Princess was in their English class. Yamiko could feel herself turn bright red as Tokimo glared at the girl and her five friends in the most conspicuous manner possible.

"Look, He--Hiroshi," the girl said to the white-haired boy, "Don't worry about my going to high school. I already have plenty of experience--remember, I used to hang out with high schoolers all the time when I was little. Besides, if Usagi made it through high school, I certainly can."

"I suppose you have a point--even if I ignore your lack of respect for your mother in her youth--but I can't help thinking we all look a bit... conspicuous, you know? Someone might notice, Usako."

"Tch," the girl with red hair replied, "We're disguised perfectly. Why would anyone notice?"

Tokimo couldn't help giggling. One of the Sailor Quartet had quite loudly and openly admitted to being in disguise! Tokimo's suspicions had been right.

"Not so loud, Akiko!" Hiroshi scolded. "And anyway, I have an ominous feeling. I think there's... well, I'll tell you about it later. Someone might be eavesdropping."

Hiroshi glanced over at Tokimo, whose heart promptly skipped a beat. The look hadn't been friendly; did he know she was spying on them? Tokimo paused and regained her cool. There's no way he could have noticed, she decided. No one would ever notice Tokimo Joshi, master spy.

Tokimo soon ran out of time to ponder her possible predicament, however, as the door to the classroom abruptly opened and their teacher stepped through. Looking down at her watch, Tokimo just now realized that their teacher had been almost ten minutes late; the students around Tokimo abruptly stopped murmuring and looked up at their teacher.

He was huge. He was easily the tallest guy that Tokimo had ever seen, and she had seen a lot of guys before. He wasn't Japanese or Shiwaumian, either; he had pale skin and black hair, and his eyes, though brown, were definitely western. Most intimidating of all about the teacher, however, was the huge scar that ran from the top of his forehead to the side of his cheek. The students looked nervously at each other, then back toward their new teacher.

"Good afternoon," he told the class in a deep, baritone voice. His accent was strange. "Welcome to Freshman English. My name is Erik vonDarkmoor. Please, call me Erik. Seeing as all of you are--at least according to your middle school curriculum's' requirements--already fluent in English, we will be examining literary classics of the language. Please pass along a syllabus." He took a huge stack of papers and handed them to a student at the head of the rightmost row of seats. "Before I begin, are there any questions?"

Tokimo's hand immediately shot up.

"Yes?" he asked apathetically.

"Where are you from?" Tokimo asked eagerly. This guy was some obviously some kind of weirdo, and Tokimo was determined to find out what kind.

"I'm from Germany. Any other questions?" He replied. The class began whispering again; Germany was an unusual place to emigrate from. Most foreigners were either from an English-speaking country or a poor, developing nation.

One of Usako's companions raised their hand; the girl with fuchsia hair. Erik nodded for her to continue.

"You don't have the textbook listed on the syllabus." She told him matter-of-factly, seeming to revel in his oversight.

"We don't use a textbook in this class. As I told you earlier, we'll be learning advanced English through the texts we read." He responded. The girl seemed miffed that she had been wrong. Erik just frowned back disapprovingly.

After that, the lesson continued on more or less uneventfully. Tokimo, who had previously been so excited, began to become a little disappointed; schools in Crystal Tokyo weren't any more interesting than schools on the ocean, except that they evidently had cold, dark and brooding teachers. She yawned. Maybe things would turn up at lunch, when she would launch her ingenious spy plan.

* * *

Helios was having difficulty adjusting to the whole concept of 'school'. Lady Serenity seemed excited enough about it; she kept talking about all these weird things, like ice cream shops and malls. But adjusting was a small sacrifice to pay to spend every day with her; he had spent a thousand years waiting on Elysion for the day when he could meet Lady Serenity again, and dealing with the oddities of his new life on Earth were a insignificant price to pay.

Now it was time for lunch. Helios hadn't eaten very much on Elysion; it was unusual for him to eat at all, because he was usually praying or conversing with Maenads, the shrine maidens of Elysion. He wasn't quite sure what to expect.

"Come on, Hiroshi," Usako said to him, taking his hand and calling him by his code name, "We'll sit down by this tree; see, it's in the shade. That way your skin won't get burned."

"My skin won't get burned, anyway," he said defensively, blushing.

"I think your skin is already burning, even under the shade," The girl with green hair replied. She was Sailor Juno, but at school, she was known as Natsuko.

"Ah, see, it's already turned red," Akiko--also known as Sailor Vesta--replied.

Tokimo watched all of this exchange with great interest from the side of a flowerbed a few feet away. Yamiko had somehow managed to get suckered into eating lunch with her and going on this "spy mission", something which still irked her.

"Why are we spying on these people?" Yamiko asked in annoyance. Tokimo giggled and smirked mischievously at her.

"Because that's the princess! And see, there's Helios," she said, beginning to point, "and Sailor Vesta, Juno, Pallas and Ceres."

"Why do we care if they are? Is it really any of our business?"

"Of course it is," Tokimo said with certainty.

"And how do you figure that?" Yamiko snapped.

"Because I want to know what they're up to."

Yamiko sighed in frustration. The six people that Tokimo had honed in on like some kind of trained falcon seemed like ordinary teenagers to Yamiko--with the exception, of course, of their oddly colored hair.

"But anyway," Usako said, taking a bite of her sticky rice ball, "What was all that about an ominous feeling? And someone eavesdropping?"

"Yeah," The girl with light blue hair replied. Sailor Pallas was calling herself Fuyuko. "Why would anyone be interested in us?"

Hiroshi shrugged. "I'm not sure anyone would. But..." he looked around. Was that odd girl still spying? She was still hanging around--he could see her sitting by a flowerbed--but she seemed to be more interested in her lunch and her conversation with another black-haired girl from class.

"But...?" The girl with fuchsia hair repeated. She was Sailor Ceres; her code name was Haruko. She was looking anxiously toward Hiroshi.

"Well... I'm getting weird auras nearby. Those of a sailor senshi." Hiroshi told them anxiously.

"A Sailor Senshi?" Akiko responded skeptically. "Aren't you just feeling our auras?"

"No, I could tell if it was us. Different senshi give off different auras; these are something foreign." He informed her.

"Could it be someone from another star system, like the Starlights'?" Haruko suggested.

"I don't think so...they generally feel different if they aren't from around here."

Usako sighed. "It's probably just one of the planetary senshi. Mama was probably being overanxious and sent Minako to school to keep an eye on us or something. I bet you anything she's floating around disguised as a teacher."

"Maybe..." Hiroshi replied, apprehensive.

* * *

Tokimo turned excitedly to Yamiko; she was eating pickles absent-mindedly with a pair of long, black, Chinese-style chopsticks.

"Guess what I just found out," Tokimo whispered animatedly.

"Yes...?" Yamiko said, sighing as she placed another pickle in her mouth.

"There's a new Senshi somewhere!" she continued happily.

"A new Senshi...?" Yamiko raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah! I heard those guys talking, and Helios--the one calling himself Hiroshi--he said that he could feel a new aura. Not one of the normal Senshi! And all the Asteroids and Sailor Pinkmoon, they seemed really excited to hear that. And I figure, if we can find the new Senshi first, we'll be heroes, and the queen will--"

Yamiko had heard enough. Tokimo was inevitably going to use Yamiko as part of this apparently ingenious plan to become famous. And as nice as Tokimo seemed, Yamiko wasn't interested. She just wanted to be left alone; to be able to sit somewhere where she could lose herself in her thoughts and forget what had happened. Yamiko purposefully packed up her lunch, stood up, and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Tokimo asked, anxious and confused.

"I'm leaving. This is nuts. I should be in the library or something, looking for a new recipe... I don't know. But frankly, I don't care about the Sailor Senshi or the queen. I just want to be left alone," Yamiko said, her back still turned to Tokimo.

"A recipe?" Tokimo replied, ignoring most of what Yamiko had said. "What for?"

"Huh? Well... I don't know. I like cooking, so I was thinking of going to the library this afternoon and taking out a cookbook on some kind of ethnic food..." Yamiko replied, caught off guard by the sudden question.

"Wow! That's amazing. My family has never been able to cook. They always make instant food. Instant curry, instant ramen, instant udon..." Tokimo touched the tips of her fingers as she listed them. "Sometimes my mom can bake stuff, but that's pretty rare. Anyway, you could teach me how to cook. You could come cook at my house! My parents would love you. Maybe you could even teach them how to cook better," she said enthusiastically, grabbing Yamiko's hand and heading toward the library.

"Uhh... sure." Yamiko replied, helpless as Tokimo pulled her along.

* * *

When Tokimo got out of school and began walking home with Yamiko, she felt like the day had been a successful one. Now she had a quest to go on; she could find out who this mysterious new Senshi was and hang out with the important people at the palace. And Yamiko, though kinda grumpy, seemed pretty nice. She walked sullenly alongside Tokimo and stared apathetically at the sparkling sidewalk of ground crystal.

"Hey!" Tokimo shouted. Yamiko flinched and looked up at Tokimo. "I just thought of something. Do your parents know you're coming to my house? Is that okay with them?"

Yamiko looked a little taken aback by the question. Then she just looked sheepishly down at the pavement. "Don't worry, it's not a problem," she mumbled.

"You sure? 'Cause if I were them, I might be worried..."

"They won't be worried."

"Huh? Why not?" Tokimo persisted.

"Because--er--because they're on an extended business trip. Year-long," Yamiko lied. Hopefully, she would be able to get rid of Tokimo before a year went by.

"Oh. Well, that's taken care of, then," Tokimo replied happily. "But who are you living with right now?"

"Myself," Yamiko replied, "Though my sister comes up to see me on her school vacations."

"Your sister? What's her name?"

"Sayoko. She goes to college in Osaka."

"Cool. Well, I'll have to meet your sister sometime, too. Can she cook, too?"

Yamiko tried to surpress a giggle. Sayoko was probably the worst cook in the world; her repertoire consisted of instant ramen and coffee, which was most of what she lived off of in college. "No," she responded, "Sayoko is a horrible cook."

"Just like me!" Tokimo said cheerfully. Yamiko did notice some similarities between Tokimo and her sister; they were both bouncy, friendly, and exceedingly obnoxious. Sayoko, however, had a lot more common sense.

"So, Yamiko, what are we going to cook when we go to my house?"

"I don't know," Yamiko said, pausing to think. "Maybe--huh?"

Yamiko stopped speaking abruptly as she looked ahead in wonder. Curious to see what Yamiko was looking at, Tokimo scooted over towards the left and stood directly in front of Yamiko, imitating her gaze as closely as possible. And then she saw it; some fuzzy animal, long and tan and skinny. Tokimo stepped back aside and looked at Yamiko, befuddled.

"What is that?" Tokimo inquired, pointing at the creature. "It looks like a fuzzy hot dog."

Yamiko couldn't help but laugh at this; Tokimo smiled victoriously. She had already gotten this gloomy girl to laugh twice in the past five minutes, and her smile count was going up all the time.

"No, no, I think it's some kind of weasel...We'll have to go up and see."

The two walked towards the fuzzy creature, which didn't show any indication that it was going to run away. And the closer they got, the more peculiar the creature seemed; it had a sort of prismatic disc on its forehead, not unlike those of Queen Serenitys' feline advisors. Even more strangely, perhaps, was the large piece of paper spread out on the ground that it seemed to be looking down at intently.

Approaching the creature, Tokimo looked at the strange piece of paper. It looked like a digital map, only on a piece of paper; the sight confused her. Tokimo looked at Yamiko in the hope of an explanation.

"It's a map," Yamiko replied, "Of Tokyo. They used to make them on paper, you know. Sometimes they still do."

Tokimo's face suddenly lit up; it was as though she had finally comprehended some philosophical musing.

"Umm... Tokimo..." Yamiko said to her, an uneasy look on her face, "what exactly are you--"

Tokimo didn't wait for her to finish. She jumped up to the poor terrified creature and it's map and planted herself Indian-style on the sidewalk. Then she pulled her face down so it was even with the little creature. Yamiko just looked on in bewilderment.

"Hey," Tokimo said to the creature, "What'cha looking for?"

The poor thing almost died of a heart attack. After breathing for a moment, it glared back at Tokimo indignantly and pointed an angry claw in her direction. "For the sake of Sol!" The animal replied, "I've been looking for you all day! These stupid maps, they're next to impossible to read, and so hard to find, and I certainly can't use those little computers--I don't have fingers! And just when I've almost had enough of looking for you all, you just pop up in front of my face--literally--as if you knew I was here all along!"

Tokimo's nonchalant expression was all that kept Yamiko from being uttely convinced that she gone completely insane.

"Hey," Tokimo continued, ignoring the creature's response, "I know where the new senshi is!"

The ferret looked at Tokimo with an exasperated expression. "Are you joking?"

"No," Tokimo began, "Because I heard Helios talking at my school, and he said he felt senshi nearby! So I figure they've got to be around here somewhere."

The creature shook his head in frustration. "What are your names?" he asked, looking at the two girls.

"My name's Tokimo Joshi. I'm 14 years old, and my blood type is... well, I don't know it. I think my Zodiac is Scorpio, or at least, that's what Yamiko told me. And I like muffins. Especially blueberry muffins."

"Umm... I'm Yamiko. Yamiko Hoshino."

"Right," the creature replied, "Well, telling me you know where a senshi is is like a bad joke."

"Why?" Tokimo asked.

"Because, Tokimo, you and Yamiko are senshi. And I've been looking all day for you," he explained, folding up the paper map awkwardly.

Upon hearing the creature's news, Tokimo jumped about three feet in the air and held up an arm up in victory. "I'm gonna be a sen-shi! I'm gonna be a sen-shi! I'm gonna be a--"

"I'm going to be sick..." Yamiko interjected, her face pale and her voice hollow.

"So what are you, anyway, little furry hot-dog creature?" Tokimo asked jubilantly, kneeling downward and placing her hands on her knees.

"Hot dog creature?" the animal repeated, full of disdain, "I am not a hot dog creature! I'm a ferret!"

"Oh, okay. Whatever. So what's your name?" Tokimo asked.

"It's... ummm..." the ferret paused. "Well, to be honest, I haven't got one."

"You haven't? Er, don't? But all mascots need a name! It can be... let's see... I know, we'll call you Kouken!"

"Kouken?" Yamiko raised an eyebrow. "You're just calling him 'guardian?' Can't you think of a real name?"

"Well, it sounds cute, doesn't it?"

"Er--I guess so..." Yamiko replied.

"Then it's settled. So what kind of powers do we get?" Tokimo asked.

Kouken cleared his throat at this point. The streets and buildings around Tokimo and Yamiko began to vanish; they blurred and dissipated until it appeared that the girls were standing on nothing, looking into the darkness of a starless space. Yamiko turned around and gazed in fear and wonder; it was a miracle that she didn't faint outright.

In front of Yamiko, a glimmering circle began to take shape. It was a brooch; the same design as the queen's very first transformation brooch, except that it was black and silver instead of gold and pink. Tokimo's followed the same pattern, save for the fact that hers was purple and black.

"These are your brooches," the voice of Kouken began; his body was not visible. "Your transformation phrase is your moon, followed by 'prism power, make up.' Your attacks will come to you when the time is right."

"When the time is right?" Yamiko asked, puzzled. The black, vacuum-like space disappeared and they were back on the sidewalk; people continued to walk by them nonchalantly as though they had never disappeared, but the brooches were still there in their hands.

Tokimo was completely immersed in the novelty of the situation. She turned her brooch over and over, admiring the shining black, purple and burgundy gems that circled the perimeter of the brooch. After inspecting it, she looked down at Kouken, who was equally immersed in inspecting his nails.

"Hey, Kouken," she began, "What Senshi are we, anyway?"

"Errr..." Kouken mumbled, looking to the side sheepishly, "Well, I don't know, exactly. I imagine you'll know once you transform."

Yamiko raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? What kind of a guardian are you, anyway? How are we supposed to transform when we don't know what we belong to?" she asked skeptically.

"Well, I do know this with much with certainty; you belong to a moon somewhere in this solar system."

"A moon?" Tokimo repeated. "Like Sailor Moon? Is that why we have brooches in the same design as Sailor Moon's?"

"Sailor Moon?" Kouken frowned; he looked confused. "How can there be a Sailor Moon? All the moons have proper names. Charon, Titan, Ganymede, Luna..." Kouken's expression changed to one of distaste as he uttered the last of the names.

"Luna?" Yamiko said. Luna...That was the Latin name for the Moon. But that was thousands of years ago; even during the Silver Millenium, the Moon was not known as Luna. And Yamiko knew that no other moon was known by that name.

"Maybe he means Sailor Moon's guardian...that cat thing." Tokimo offered helpfully.

"Luna is the Latin word for the Moon. The earth's moon, that is. But no one calls it that anymore." Yamiko informed Tokimo.

"What, has that woman taken to calling Luna 'the Moon?'" Kouken asked. "How conceited. But it doesn't surprise me; much else cannot be expected of someone so corrupt."

Tokimo and Yamiko looked at each other in confusion. He couldn't mean Serenity, the great savior and the Messiah?

"What do you mean?" Yamiko asked, looking around to see if anyone was listening in. While the Queen herself guaranteed free speech, the Queen was extremely popular--quite literally worshiped by many--and Yamiko did not want to be at the wrong end of a religious fanatic's fury.

"Queen Diana, of Luna. The tyrant who destroyed the Rainbow Millennium."

"The Rainbow Millennium?" Tokimo and Yamiko asked, perplexed.

"It seems that things have changed since then even more than I expected. It may have been 4,000 years ago, but there should still be some records."

Tokimo raised her eyebrows. 4,000 years ago! She was getting herself in deep. She grinned in excitement.

"But if you've never heard of it, that must mean that everything was destroyed. Bad news indeed; though, on the bright side, your reincarnation will come as even more of a surprise. That, at least, we can use to our advantage."

"Okay," Yamiko interjected, a bit annoyed, "Could you please explain what the hell is going on? What is the Rainbow Millennium? Who is Queen Diana? And why are you calling the Moon Luna?"

Kouken sighed. "Well, this all happened 4,000 years ago. During this time there was an era known as the Rainbow Millennium; it was a time of great prosperity and power. You see, even now this solar system--or Sol, as it is often called--is the most powerful in the universe, at least that anyone knows of. And the reason it is so strong is because of the three powers."

"Aren't the three powers Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Helios of the holy land Elysion?" Yamiko asked.

"I suppose, if Luna has gone to calling itself the Moon--but those are only the three powers of Earth. During the Rainbow Millennium, however, every planet had three powers. There was a priest and his holy land, a senshi for the planet, and then there were the many senshi of the moons. Each senshi also had a crystal, just like Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal."

"They all had crystals?" Yamiko exclaimed. "But the Silver Crystal is massively powerful! It can blow away an entire solar system! If each moon in the solar system had a crystal--and that must be over 70--then..."

"That's right. No one touched us; we were invincible. We were known as the Rainbow Millennium because of our crystals, which included almost every color, tint and shade in the spectrum."

"But if we could blow up the universe," Tokimo asked, "then how come all the moons are gone now?"

"Ah, you see, this is where Luna comes in." Kouken told Tokimo. "Because Queen Diana's oracle, Neherenia, made a prophecy."

"Neherenia...haven't I heard that name before?" Tokimo asked Yamiko, who put her hand on her forehead in exasperation.

"Neherenia was the leader of the Dead Moon Circus, who predicted the downfall of the Silver Millennium at the time of Neo Queen Serenity's birth. She was a sort of criminal that Serenity banished to the dark side of the Moon--the side facing away from the Earth, that is."

"Wow, you know a lot of history, Yamiko," Tokimo said in wonder. "Where did you learn all that?"

"Sixth grade history, Tokimo," Yamiko said with a sigh.

"Oh. Okay. Anyway, keep going, Kouken."

"Anyway," Kouken continued on, "Neherenia made the prophecy that Luna would be the only moon left in power in the solar system, and that Diana would rule over all the planets. Most importantly, Neherenia prophesied that anyone who opposed Diana would perish. The Planets, fearing what would happen to them, joined Luna; Neherenia was the most powerful oracle in the solar system, and the planets knew that nothing she had predicted had failed to come true. But the other moons, valuing their independence from Diana above the safety of their homes, refused to join her. Of course, as you already know, breaking up the three powers renders the crystals useless. The moons stood no chance. Diana destroyed them all."

"What about the priests?" Yamiko asked.

"No one knows what happened to them. They just disappeared, around the time of the war," Kouken replied.

Tokimo could feel a headache coming on. There was so much that it was hard to take in all at once...a psycho Queen Serenity and a war, a bunch of priests like Helios...but it looked like she played a part in this, so she decided that she'd at least try to understand it. She looked at the glimmering brooch again; there was a thin seam on the side. Prying it open with her fingernails, Tokimo noticed that she could open up her senshi brooch in the same way that Sailor Moon could. Inside of this locket-like opening there was a large, empty hole and a complex design of swirling ribbons. "Hey," Tokimo said, pointing to the hole, "What's this for?"

"That's where your crystal would go, if you still had one." Kouken responded.

"Oo! When are we gonna get 'em?"

"Never, presumably," Kouken irritably informed her, "Seeing as your priests are gone, and you certainly won't be getting along with the planetary Senshi."

Yamiko grabbed the edges of her sleeves nervously as she felt a shiver snake down her spine. She thought she knew where this was headed. "Why not?"

"Because you'll be fighting them, of course. That's the whole objective; you're going to kill Sailor Moon."

"Huh?" Tokimo shouted. Yamiko glanced at Tokimo warningly. "But I thought Sailor Moon was the good guy," Tokimo continued, this time more quietly."why are we trying to kill her?"

"Well, there are multiple reasons. The first reason, of course, is for revenge. She killed you, not to mention your family, your lovers, and your friends. That may not affect you right now, as you don't remember any of those people, but you will; and when you do, you will hate her with a passion. Killing her will seem appealing."

Yamiko cringed. She didn't know the queen, but she had kept them alive and safe from all the threat of Chaos and united the Sailor Senshi against a common cause. She was the Messiah, for Serenity's sake! And she had the Silver Crystal. Yamiko's stomach turned with the thought of trying to kill her.

"What are the other reasons?" Tokimo asked.

"Ah, you see, Diana knew she wasn't going to be a very popular queen. People were already pressuring her to have a daughter, and she knew it was because they wanted her off the throne and out of commission. Eventually, she gave into the pressure, and had a daughter--Queen Serenity, Neo Queen Serenity's mother. Then Queen Diana placed a curse on the Silver Crystal. Every fourth generation, her consciousness will be reborn in Sailor Moon," Kouken explained.

"Huh?" Tokimo asked, her face blank.

"Errr.. how can I explain this so it's clearer? Well... Queen Diana had a daughter, Queen Serenity. Then Queen Serenity had a daughter, Neo Queen Serenity. Neo Queen Serenity had Usagi Small Lady Serenity. And Usagi Small Lady Serenity..."

"...Will have Queen Diana." Yamiko interjected, finishing Kouken's sentence.

"But... I thought Queen Diana died a long time ago. How can Lady Serenity have her as a kid?"

"Because it won't be Queen Diana herself. It will just be her consciousness, her memories. Queen Diana's memories will awaken in Lady Serenity's daughter, and the next Sailor Moon will inherit the personality of Diana. With Diana once again on the throne, another reign of oppression and hatred will begin," Kouken clarified.

"So in other words," Yamiko said dejectedly, "We have to kill Sailor Moon, or rather, Sailor Pinkmoon, so that Diana won't become queen again."

"Yes," Kouken replied authoritatively. "But you make it sound like that's a bad thing. You're only doing what you have to do--no, you're doing what's right. You're protecting the world from Queen Diana and restoring honor to the names of your kindred."

Tokimo, grinning enthusiastically, held out a sign of victory with her fingers. "This is so cool!" she said, dropping her hand. "Just like a story out of my comics. We're going to be Sailor Senshi, fight evil, and restore honor to our kindred! This is gonna be awesome! Right, Yamiko?" she turned to Yamiko, her eyes practically glittering.

Yamiko was silent. She didn't know what to think. Tokimo might have looked at this as one big adventure, as fighting to do the right thing, but Yamiko saw it for what it really was: murder. They were going to be the worst murderers of the century. And worse yet, they were fighting against the only Senshi left with a crystal. How could they possibly hope to win when Sailor Pinkmoon could blow away an entire planet in the blink of an eye?

No; Yamiko wasn't stupid enough to go on a fool's errand. "Kouken...I can't do this."

"Hm?" Kouken responded somewhat sleepily.

"I can't kill Sailor Pinkmoon. It's crazy. We don't stand a chance, and it's not right, anyway. I quit. Keep your locket." Yamiko said firmly, throwing her locket to the ferret's feet. Then she turned around and walked away.

Tokimo and Kouken just stood there for a moment before turning toward each other. Kouken gave Tokimo an expectant look; Tokimo could tell he wanted her to go after Yamiko and convince her to fight. And Kouken's view was only logical; after all, Tokimo thought to herself, being a Senshi isn't like being in the military. You don't sign up or quit. You don't have a choice. It was one of those destiny things they told you about in cartoons.

Tokimo started running after Yamiko, waving her arms and calling her name. Yamiko didn't stop or even look behind her--she just kept walking. Before long, however, Tokimo caught up to her. Grabbing her wrist to keep her from moving, Tokimo panted for a few minutes to regain her breath; Yamiko's eyes widened in surprise as she struggled against Tokimo's strong grip. Despite Yamiko's attempts to get away and Tokimo's own battle to regain her composure, Yamiko wasn't able to wrench herself from Tokimo's hand.

"Wait... up," Tokimo gasped.

"What do you want? Leave me alone," she said angrily, struggling. "Don't you take a hint? I want you to leave me alone!" she cried, continuing to tug against Tokimo's hold.

"No," Tokimo continued, catching her breath. "No, I don't take a hint, and I'm not leaving you alone. You're a Senshi now, Yamiko. You don't get a choice. You can't quit. I don't know if you've read history or whatever, or comic books, or seen any cartoons...but if you have, you know, like Sailor Moon, that you have a destiny to follow. You can't fight it."

Yamiko stopped struggling. She looked down at Tokimo; Tokimo was almost a foot shorter than her. But even though she was much taller and much smarter than Tokimo, Tokimo was projected an aura of strength and determination that momentarily dwarfed her. Where was the giggling fool? Now Yamiko felt foolish.

"I don't want to be a Senshi." Yamiko replied dully.

"Well, that's okay," Tokimo responded, more cheerfully this time, "Usagi didn't want to be a Senshi, either. But in the end, she didn't regret it. After all, in Galaxy Cauldron, she had the choice to start over. And she didn't. Instead, she kept her memories and continued being Eternal Sailor Moon."

"I thought you didn't pay attention in history." Yamiko replied.

"Well, my seventh grade teacher was better than my sixth," she smiled, taking Yamiko's other wrist. "So come on, Yamiko, let's go my house and you'll teach me how to cook! It'll be great!" she started shaking Yamiko's wrists vigorously;Yamiko just gave her an annoyed look back. "And then, when we've finished cooking, you can sleep over, and we can tell stories about...umm...stuff. And tomorrow, we can kill Sailor Pinkmoon during lunch; we have to, you know, so we might as well get it over with. And then we can find someone really villainous to fight. We'll be the heroes!" Tokimo shouted. Yamiko just shook her head.

"Whatever you say, Tokimo..." she replied soothingly. Before, Tokimo's spastic attitude had merely been annoying. Now it began to take a darker, more twisted turn; her carefree attitude about killing Sailor Pinkmoon was unsettling. It was almost as if she thought she really was in a comic book.

Tokimo started walking back toward Kouken, who was looking expectantly toward them. Together, they all set off for Tokimo's house, a mere block and a half away. As they set off, Yamiko was filled with a growing sense of dread.

It was going to be an interesting day tomorrow.

* * *

_"--steria..." a voice called out in darkness. "Asteria..."_

_Queen Nikkal looked lovingly down at her daughter. Princess Asteria was only five now--the darkness of Phoebe hadn't even touched her brilliant smile. But she was growing fast._

_"Yes, mother?" she asked, looking happily up at her._

_"I want you to have this. It's your brooch, so that you can turn into Sailor Phoebe. Use it well, Asteria. I believe you will become a great queen someday."_

_The image of Nikkal... screaming behind metal bars. Screaming, pounding, her fist smeared with blood..._

_"Someday..."_

_A light. Silence. A soldier in purple. A glaive...Water...water, everywhere..._

_"...day..."_

* * *

Yamiko's eyes flashed open and basked in the sight of Tokimo's brightly illuminated room. She was alive...It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. She shivered slightly as she felt her hair, still damp.

--But that had happened in the dream...! She looked around and saw a smiling Tokimo with a large metal bucket in her hands.

"You're finally awake! I thought you'd never get up. Me and Kouken had to dump water over your head." Tokimo smiled; Kouken was seated indignantly on her shoulder.

"You have no sense of responsibility, you know," he told Yamiko matter-of-factly, "Sleeping in like this. Tokimo woke up right away."

Yamiko sighed. Kouken was chastising the wrong person as far as responsibility was concerned.

"He just likes me better because I gave him cucumber slices," Tokimo said with a grin. He cleared his throat authoritatively as he tried to maintain his serious expression. Yamiko smiled weakly.

"Anyway," Tokimo continued, "You don't look so good. Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah... a really weird one. I wish you hadn't poured that bucket on my head, though, because I was drowning in my dream."

"Why were you drowning?" Kouken asked with interest.

"I'm not sure... someone was drowning me. I don't remember who it was. The second part of the dream was really confusing. The first part was bad enough."

"Oh?" Kouken replied, prompting Yamiko for more information.

"Yeah," Yamiko responded in annoyance as she turned to Tokimo. "Would you mind if I used your shower?"

"Nope," Tokimo said aimably, "go right ahead."

Yamiko pulled the sheets back from the now sopping-wet guest bed and stood up. Then she grabbed the hanger with her pink and blue school uniform on it as she walked anxiously out the door and into the shower.

"What about you, Tokimo? Did you have any weird dreams?" Kouken asked.

"Me? No. I always sleep like a rock," she said, walking out of the room. Kouken stayed behind; he raised his eyebrows in concern. Tokimo looked happy enough; she could probably handle being a Sailor Senshi. But Yamiko...things would not go so smoothly for her.

* * *

Yamiko was practically shaking as she walked into school that day. Tokimo couldn't honestly have meant what she said yesterday, could she? Yamiko wasn't exactly happy about being a senshi, and jumping head first into something like killing Sailor Pinkmoon wasn't an idea that thrilled her. Yamiko was glad that Erik had made English that day a 'silent reading' class; she wasn't really in the mood to participate. She was having a hard enough time focusing on her reading as it was.

Yamiko jumped in surprise as a large, pale hand grabbed her book out of her hands. It was Erik; he looked down at her with concerned eyes that contrasted bizarrely with his sternly frowning mouth. The contradictory expression was both confusing and intimidating; Yamiko sat down a little lower in her seat.

"Miss Hoshino," he said quietly, looking down at her, "Could I speak with you outside for just a moment?"

Yamiko could feel the blood draining from her cheeks, but she followed Erik outside and into the hall. The other students glanced up but didn't think much of it; Tokimo was looking up towards the door over her book.

"What's going on?" Kouken whispered from Tokimo's purple backpack. "Who is that?"

"What, the girl? That's Yamiko. She's a senshi. We found her yesterday, remember?" Tokimo whispered back. "Why?"

"No, you idiot," Kouken hissed, "The man. Who's the man?"

"Oooh. The maaaann. He's umm..." Tokimo paused for a moment, thinking to herself. "Erik vonDarkmoor. Our English teacher. Pretty tall, black hair. Why?"

"Because I'm getting a weird feeling from him." Kouken whispered in response.

"What, you mean he's a Sailor Senshi? Now that's just weird. I can't see him in the uniform..." Tokimo said in confusion.

"No, no! He's not a Sailor Senshi. I'm not sure what he is. But I'm getting a weird aura from him." Kouken replied.

Tokimo just shrugged and continued to read.

* * *

Yamiko looked around nervously as she pulled at the ends of her sleeves. Why did Erik suddenly want to talk to her? Erik had been a bit suspicious from the beginning, after all; he was from a foreign country, he wanted to go by his first name...she was suddenly very glad that she had a brooch--If he tried to lay one hand on her--

"You looked a little pale during class. Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should go to the nurse." Even though his words were thoughtful, his voice was apathetic.

"I'm fine," Yamiko replied defensively.

"Sure you are. With that attitude, I'm guessing you aren't sick--that much is the truth. Something's bothering you, then? You can go home, if you like. It's not like you're going to concentrate when your mind is somewhere else."

Yamiko had been wishing that the rest of her was somewhere else, too; and here was Erik, offering her her freedom. This was her shining opportunity to not even have to think about Sailor Pinkmoon--she could just go home and tell Tokimo that she was sick. Perfect.

Of course, if her sister were here, this is the point where she would go on some spiel about how she was just chickening out. In fact, if Sayoko knew Tokimo, she would probably start off by saying that the girl was a total lunatic, and that someone had to stick around to make sure she didn't do something too stupid. And then she'd say that Yamiko was probably going to get caught up in this one way or another, and she might as well deal with it now.

Besides, there was still that pesky ferret to worry about. Yamiko grimaced. However, she wasn't going let something like her conscience or a fuzzy weasel get in the way of a perfect escape.

"I think I better do that," Yamiko replied sincerely, "If you don't mind, Mr. vonDarkmoor."

"Erik, please. Now off with you," he said in the same somewhat apathetic tone, indicating the exit. This was such a perfect turn of events that she almost wanted to smile. She waltzed out the door and onto the street, heading towards home.

* * *

Tokimo kept looking toward the door all through English. Kouken stayed quiet; he couldn't see the classroom door, so there was no way for him to know that something was up. But Tokimo knew something was up. Oh, Tokimo knew.

So when the bell rang, signaling the end of English, the first thing Tokimo did was walk right up to Erik.

"Mr. Erik...I have a question."

Erik raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What is it, Tokimo?"

"Where did Yamiko go? She just kinda...disappeared after you talked to her. Do you know what happened to her?" Tokimo asked innocently.

"Yes. She couldn't focus; I sent her home. I thought maybe she'd feel better after she rested a little."

"Ah," Tokimo replied. "Well, that was a very interesting lesson, Erik. I, uh...have to go. Thanks." Tokimo headed briskly toward the door, intent on her purpose; as she left, Erik glanced toward her and quizzically raised an eyebrow.

* * *

Tokimo was walking quickly down the sidewalk. She didn't know exactly where she was going, since Yamiko had never told her where she lived, but she wasn't going to let her bail out on their mission. And besides, she didn't want to skip out of class for nothing.

"Honestly, I knew that girl had issues the moment I saw her," Kouken said grumpily, sticking his head out of Tokimo's purple backpack. "First she tries to quit, now she runs off right when we're about to make our first move. Really."

"Uhh...Kouken?" Tokimo glanced behind her; her voice wavered.

"Hm? Yes?" Kouken responded.

"Do you know where Yamiko's house is?"

Kouken sighed in expaseration. "No, I don't know where her house is! Isn't she your friend, Tokimo?"

"Well...actually, the day you showed up was the first day I met her. So I hadn't figured out where she lived yet. But I guess I could look in the student handbook. That would give her phone number, anyway. It gives her address, too, but I can't make any sense of those--well, unless I'm sending a letter."

"Oh yeah...I forgot to give these to you two," Kouken said. He shuffled around in the backpack and handed two watch-like bracelets with crescent moon emblems on them to Tokimo. There was one in black and silver; the other was purple and black.

"You'll probably need these communicators," he explained to Tokimo, who grinned excitedly and took them. She opened up the inside, which revealed a myriad of gem-like buttons and a small LCD screen. This was the coolest watch ever.

"I didn't see these in my backpack his morning!" She said to Kouken enthusiastically.

"Tokimo...I brought them out just now--magically. They weren't in your backpack this morning."

"Oh, okay. Sooo... Can I use it to call Yami?" Tokimo asked happily.

"Err--no, because Yamiko doesn't have hers. You're holding it in your other hand. You'll have to call her this time."

"Aaah. That sucks. Oh, well." Tokimo pulled out a metallic purple cell phone along with the student handbook. Flipping disinterestedly through the pages, she found Yamiko's phone number and punched it into her cell phone.

Tokimo waited impatiently as the phone rang five or six times. Eventually, Tokimo heard someone pick up. "Look, I'm not coming back," Yamiko snapped into the phone, "so you can just hang up now. I just got sick of hearing the phone ring."

Tokimo coughed a couple of times. "But...errr...I'm not Tokimo," she said, distorting her voice to make it sound petite and feminine, "I'm Sayoko. I heard from Erik about your skipping out on class, and I don't--"

"Spare me, Tokimo," Yamiko sighed, "I know it's you."

"Damn," Tokimo responded, reverting back to her normal voice. "Anyway, we want to know where you live."

"I'm not telling you where I live. Now go away."

"But how are we supposed to fulfill our mission if you keep running away like this?" Tokimo asked Yamiko, her voice full of disappointment.

"Explain to me again why I have to be a part of this?" Yamiko said irritably.

Kouken leaned down toward the receiving end of the phone; he spoke unnecessarily loud, even given that his head wasn't against the receiver. "Look, I don't care how big of a coward you are. You haven't got a choice. Now get yourself over here now, or I'll make you regret it. You've got a job to do."

"I'm not going to listen to some rat," Yamiko retorted, ready to hang up.

Tokimo pushed Kouken's face away from the phone and held the phone closer to her own face. "Don't listen to him, Yami...uh...ko. But please do come. Please? I don't think I'll be able to take out Sailor Pinkmoon alone. And if we don't do it, who will?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe killing the Crown Princess isn't such a good idea?" Yamiko said angrily, "I mean, you seem to think that murder is just another adventure. Do you realize what could happen to us if we try to kill Lady Serenity?"

"It doesn't matter what happens to us," Tokimo responded fervently, "What matters is what happens to other people. And if Lady Serenity has a child, which I'm sure she will, everyone will suffer. And if I have to suffer to save everyone else from the kind of oppression Kouken told us about, then that's a small sacrifice to make."

Yamiko was a bit taken aback; she had assumed Tokimo's enthusiasm was driven purely by the desire for excitement, but she seemed to mean what she said. "...I'm not coming today, Tokimo. But I guess I could think about it." Yamiko replied sullenly. Then she hung up the phone.

Tokimo heard the click and listened briefly to the silence on the other end before she hung up herself. Then she turned around and dejectedly headed back toward school.

"I take it that it didn't go over too well, huh?" Kouken said, disappointed. Tokimo nodded.

"We'll just have to fight Sailor Pinkmoon alone, Kouken," Tokimo replied, "and show Yamiko that what we're doing is right. She said she'd think about it, and I'm determined to make her come around."

Kouken nodded in approval. "Now," he said, "We should make our move soon, so we'll surprise her. We don't want her finding out about us somehow before we have our chance. I think you had a good idea when you suggested attacking at lunch."

Tokimo nodded. She put Yamiko's communicator back in her backpack, promising herself to give it to her later. Then she held her hand high above her head.

She paused for a moment; she never did find out what her moon was. So, for lack of a better idea, she just picked the only name she could remember of the ones Kouken had mentioned earlier; Charon.

"Charon prism power, make up!" She shouted as a blur of purple and black surrounded her and she transformed into Sailor Charon. As her transformation ended, she held her naginata horizontally in front of her; the black and purple polearm matched her uniform, which had black bows and roman criss-cross sandals with straps that twisted up to her knees. The outfit was accented by her golden tiara and black and purple brooch, which sat on her front bow.

"Well then," Kouken said to Sailor Charon, "Let's go."

* * *

Sailor Charon made her way back to school as inconspicuously as possible; not an easy feat, as the lunch bell seemed to have rung in the time that she was gone. Now the yard was full of students eating their meals and talking innocently. Charon frowned as she suddenly realized she hadn't really come up with much of a plan; maybe, she thought, she would know better what to do when she saw Usako.

Making her way toward the wall surrounding the perimeter of the school, she jumped upwards and alighted on it with surprising ease--this senshi business evidentially came with some benefits. Many students looked up in surprise at the unfamiliar face; others ran away, feeling that where there was a Sailor Senshi, there was a monster not too far behind. But in the middle of the schoolyard, Usako stood up and gazed blankly at Sailor Charon. Hiroshi, Haruko, Fuyuko, Akiko and Natsuko followed her gaze--and her expression.

Usako glanced nervously to either side; this strange senshi was standing calmly front of her, looking at her like an ant she was poised to step on. Usako looked worriedly towards Hiroshi, who took her hand comfortingly and looked back at the unfamiliar senshi with a cold gaze. The four other girls stepped protectively in front of Usako.

By now, virtually no one besides Usako and her friends were left in the lunch yard. Nobody dared to guess what was going to happen, and only a few chunks of students were still around; they made their way hurriedly back into the school, their faces covered with expressions of panic.

Sailor Charon jumped down in front of the group of untransformed senshi. Kouken soon followed after her and stood at her side. As if in rebuttal, a small, mouse-gray cat struggled out of a pink bunny bag and stood protectively next to Usako. With the appearance of the cat, any last doubts about Usako's true nature were dispelled; the cat had a perfectly symmetrical crescent moon bald-spot on its forehead. It glinted strangely in the sunlight.

It was silent like this for a moment. Then, Sailor Charon pulled out her naginata and pointed it at the throat of Haruko, who stood at the lead.

"Representing the moon of Charon, the soldier of time and chaos is here," Sailor Charon said. If you're going to be a hero, Charon thought, you have to make a dramatic entrance. "I came here to see Sailor Pinkmoon. I have a mission."

"What makes you think I'm Sailor Pinkmoon?" Usako said kindly, trying to not to let her voice quaver.

Sailor Charon smiled. "You couldn't fool a master spy like me," she said proudly, "Not with your hair, or your traveling companions, or your pet cat." She looked down toward the cat, who hissed warningly.

"Are you here to join our team?" Usako said a bit timidly.

"No," Sailor Charon replied, "I'm here because I have to kill you."

They stared at her, their faces a mix of shock and anger. Hiroshi held on to Usako protectively. "Why would you want to kill the Princess?" he asked. "What has she ever done to you?"

"You ought to know," Kouken said fiercely.

Usako looked at Hiroshi for explanation; Hiroshi, puzzled, only shook his head."I have no more idea than you, Usako," He said to her, "But I think you'd better be prepared to attack--if only to defend yourself."

Usako looked at him with a face that was half disappointed, half chiding; Usako, after all, had seen no small share of hostile Sailor Senshi turn to the side of good, and it has always been the royal family's policy to try to win over their enemies to the path of righteousness--without hurting them, even in self-defense. "Please, Usako?" he continued, pleading this time. "You have to save yourself before you can save your enemies."

Usako shook her head in resignation and held up her right hand. "Pink crystal moon power, make up!" she cried, transforming in a glittering flurry of pink.

Haruko, Akiko, Natsuko and Fuyuko looked at each other and nodded. Protecting the princess was their duty--from Chaos or from fellow senshi.

"Juno..."

"Vesta..."

"Pallas..."

"Ceres..."

"Power, make up!" They shouted in unison as they transformed into the Sailor Asteroids in a blur of color.

Hiroshi looked toward Sailor Pinkmoon expectantly. She nodded and held a glass bell high above her head.

"Twinkle yell!" she cried; Hiroshi became obscured and re-appeared as Helios, Priest of Elysion.

Sailor Charon didn't wait another moment. She held her naginata high above her as purple and black electricity swirled into a small sphere around its tip.

"Space time blast!" She shouted. The ball launched itself at Sailor Moon and her companions; it expanded into a large globe, surrounding them completely. They knelt down on the ground, trying to recover as an intensely queasy sensation swept over them. Usako began to vomit.

"I thought time distortions didn't affect Senshi..." Sailor Vesta gasped as she struggled not to retch.

"She must be affecting space as well," Ceres said weakly, "so her attack is still effective."

Sailor Charon launched herself toward Sailor Pinkmoon, past the Asteroids gathered meekly in front of her on the ground. She frowned as she tried to banish her second thoughts; she knew that what she was doing was right. She had to do it. But even though she knew her actions were justified, Charon couldn't help feeling a little guilty. Maybe being a Sailor Senshi wasn't as great as she dreamed it was.

Sailor Charon gasped. A dark object hit her Naginata, jolting it from her hand and sending it sliding across the ground. Her body, too, had be jolted awkwardly by the impact of the flying object on her metal polearm; she had barely managed to maintain her balance. Readjusting her stance, Charon's distracted attention caused her attack to dissolve as well, leaving the Sailor Senshi once again free to move. Charon turned around to investigate the object--a single iron disc lay stuck in the ground. She frowned.

The Sailor Senshi, still queasy from Sailor Charon's attack, stood up shakily. Sailor Pinkmoon put her arm around Helios. The Sailor Asteroids reassumed their defensive positions.

Sailor Charon looked around her, hoping to find the attacker. When she finally identified who was responsible, she froze in shock. Because standing in front of her--steadily holding a katana of iron--was a tall and grim figure.

He must have been must have been over six and a half feet tall. His dark, unkempt hair stuck out in several directions, obscuring his ears; an iron mask covered his face completely in black. The mask was molded in the shape of a sternly frowning face, and dark brown eyes stared out from two narrow eye slits. He wore armor, the same black iron as his mask, but it was only visible because of the hand that still held out his long, dark katana. Normally, it would have been completely obscured beneath his flowing black cloak. The only hint of color in all of his clothing was the dark red underside of the cloak.

"Who are you?" Charon asked, trying to hide her fear of the man.

"I am the Crimson Eagle," he replied emotionlessly, "And I will not allow you to touch Sailor Moon."

"Why didn't you let me kill Sailor Pinkmoon?" Sailor Charon replied huffily. "I had almost gotten it over with. I was going to be the hero!"

"Because," the Crimson Eagle replied, "I am a knight. And my duty is to protect Sailor Senshi. Sailor Moon, whatever her history, is a Sailor Senshi."

Sailor Charon looked toward Kouken for guidance. Kouken's grave face nearly matched the iron mask of the Crimson Eagle; he shook his head.

"The duty of knights is dead, as you can see," he told the Crimson Eagle, "Tuxedo Mask himself protects Sailor Moon above the other senshi. You should stop hanging on to the old ways and help us destroy Sailor Moon--otherwise, Diana will return."

"I believe there is another way," the Knight replied. "I believe we can find a solution in which no one is sacrificed."

Kouken just stared angrily back at The Crimson Eagle. Sailor Charon glanced back and forth between them in confusion; she didn't know what Kouken meant by the 'duty of knights', but if there was a way to solve the problem of Diana without killing anyone, she was willing to hear the strange man out. She held out her hand; her naginata materialized faithfully in front of it, and she gripped it firmly once again. She may have been willing to listen to the Crimson Eagle, but if his solution wasn't going to work, Charon was prepared to do what she had to. That was what heroes did.

"What solution do you think we can find?" Sailor Charon asked him.

"I do not know. But I am determined to find one," he responded.

Charon frowned. "Who knows how long that'll take, and if it'll even work?" she said. "We can't count on your hopes. We have to be brave and act! Now move aside, so I can finish what I came for!"

"If you want to kill her, you'll have to kill me first. I will not die dishonorably once more." he said, holding his katana in front of him.

Once more? What did that mean? At this point, Charon decided, it didn't matter. He obviously wasn't going to move, and heroes didn't kill innocent people who weren't threatening world peace. Moreover, if she tried to run past him and attack Pinkmoon, he'd probably just throw another disc and send her naginata flying across the yard again. She sighed in resignation. "I'll just have to try another day, I guess," she said in annoyance. All this effort, and her plan had been messed up so easily.

She turned around and walked out of the schoolyard, only half paying attention to that announcement that school had been called off for the day. Kouken followed behind her, a stern look on his face as he glanced behind him at the Crimson Eagle one last time. The Crimson Eagle watched them leave; when Sailor Charon disappeared from sight, he left as quickly and abruptly as he had appeared.

Pinkmoon turned towards Helios as they stood alongside the Asteroids in the empty schoolyard. Usako de-transformed; the Asteroids followed her example. She sat down and looked dejectedly toward the ground. Helios sat down beside her and hugged her comfortingly.

"What's going on?" she asked, half to herself. "Who were they? What did they want?"

"It looks like they all have something to do with you, Usako," Haruko said, looking down at her, "And nothing to do with us. You sure you don't know them?"

"Positive," she said, looking back up at Haruko, "and Mama never told me anything about these people, either. But that senshi--Sailor Charon--she and her guardian seemed to think they had a good reason for attacking. Have I done something wrong?"

"No, you haven't," Helios said, tightening his grip around her a little, "you've done nothing wrong."

"Maybe it was something she did unintentionally," Fuyuko suggested, "Something she did without realizing it."

"But there's nothing she's done that's hurt anyone," Natsuko responded. "The attack is random. We don't even know who these senshi are, if they're senshi at all."

"They're definitely senshi," Diana said, jumping up on Haruko's shoulder, "I could feel it in Sailor Charon's aura. And The Crimson Eagle gives off similar feelings to those of Tuxedo Mask. And the fact that they're senshi makes the situation even more frustrating; they should be fighting with us, not against us!"

"In any case, we should tell the Queen," Akiko said decisively. "If anyone knows what to do, she will."

"Artemis and Luna, too," Diana added. "There might be something in the history of the Silver Millenium about these senshi."

Usako shook her head. "No."

"Why not?" Helios asked, confused.

Usako gently broke off from Helios and stood up as authoritatively as she could muster. "Because," she explained, "I don't want to live in Mama's shadow anymore. All of this time, even when she sent me off to the past, she was always--in one form or another--safely leading me along, ready to intervene when things took a bad turn. But Mama didn't have that luxury when she was Sailor Moon. Then, she was the leader, and she had to handle things on her own. True, she had a team just like you guys to help her and Luna to give her advice. But she didn't have someone bigger and more powerful to intercede when things got dangerous. So I'm going to be the same way. I'm not going to ask Mama for help any more. And we aren't going to tell her anything's wrong. When we go home tonight, we're going to act like nothing out of the ordinary has happened."

"It's true that the queen's mother was not alive to help her," Haruko told Usako, concern in her voice, "but at the same time, she never had to deal with something like this. She never had Sailor Senshi who were turned against her."

"No, that's not true," Helios disagreed.

"It's not?" Fuyuko asked, confused.

"Sailor Moon and the Outers used to be enemies; they had different motives and often came into conflict. Galaxia's henchmen were also Sailor Senshi of sorts. Salior Moon made it through both of those dilemmas; the Outers in particular went on to become valuable allies and good friends of the queen's. Even though it may be hard, I believe that we should stand by Usako's decision and face this problem alone. After all, the Sailor Quartet are Sailor Pinkmoon's personal guardians," Helios said, glancing meaningfully at Haruko. "And I feel obligated to stand beside her for...personal reasons. Moreover, I think the queen would respect her decision. Am I right?"

The Sailor Asteroids looked nervously at each other, Helios, and Usako. Eventually, they met each other's gazes once more and nodded. This was Usako's fight. She was Sailor Moon now; and the responsibility of that position was hers and hers alone.

_EPISODE ONE: FIN_

* * *

Softly mumbling, "Don't cry," to myself,  
I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I'm not at fault, right? It's everyone else's fault, right?  
If you think so too, if you'll believe in me,  
I'll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny 

Lulululu...

Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite  
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no 

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne 

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne   
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba  
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara

Lulululu...

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Yamiko**: After learning about our destinies and our pasts, a whole new set of problems rises before us. How will we deal with the knowledge that Sailor Moon is responsible for our deaths?

**Tokimo**: Yamiko may not be willing to extend her friendship, but I don't need it--I have a new friend. With a personality caught between kindness and cruelty, her motives are as mysterious as her personality...

**The Crimson Eagle**: The duty of knights is never over, and If forced to do so, I will continue my quest to the death.

**Yamiko**: When straightforward problems arise, they are easily resolved. But when love and emotions combine with this fight, answers are seldom obvious...

Next time on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Sea and the Undertow"_

**Seisui**: Evil returns to those who create it.

* * *

A Quick Note:

For those of you who have been following this fanfiction on you will notice that I do not have a new episode up and have re-uploaded the first. What you are/have been reading is a new, revised version of the first episode. I am currently working my way through the entire arc and will be bringing all of the episodes up-to-date in my more current, more enjoyable style. I hope you enjoy this "new" episode one and the episodes that follow. As always, feel free to e-mail me with comments. Also, upon completion of the edit of the first arc, it is my hope that I will be able to bring out a print-on-demand doujinshi of the first arc. Wish me luck! - K.R.I.


	2. Episode Two: The Sea and the Undertow

_"Sailor Charon," Sailor Pluto had said gravely, "I'm afraid this is how it has to be."_

_The sound of an explosion echoed through the garden; wind blasted across the fields of flowers. Blood had clouded Tasia's eyes as she struggled to see what was happening._

_An image of the past…_

_"Tasia," her mother began, tying together the elaborate braids in her hair. "Tomorrow you will begin your training as a senshi."_

_Finally, Tasia thought, she would become the heroine of her moon, loved and appreciated by everyone._

_She passed her training with flying colors. The streets had been filled with cheering onlookers when she returned; a decadent banquet had been prepared._

_"I'm so proud, Tasia," her father beamed. He hugged her so tightly that Tasia thought he was afraid she'd disappear. "But remember, battle is not always as glorious as stories of the senshi before you would have you believe. Always be careful when you're facing your opponents, and even more careful when you aren't."_

_"I'm sorry, Sailor Charon," Sailor Pluto had apologized amidst the fury of her dying moon._

_Then her sister planet turned around and walked away._

* * *

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Two:

"The Sea and the Undertow"

* * *

Tokimo shivered; another dream, and this one was a lot more realistic. It was like looking at snapshots in a photo album; even if an experience seemed forgotten, a picture could summon up the memory as clearly as though it had happened yesterday. Was this dream--this 'photograph'--of her death as Sailor Charon?

This sailor senshi thing needed a few kinks worked out of it, she decided. How were heroes supposed to concentrate when they were having weird, freaky dreams all the time? Tokimo pulled herself out of bed; she was eagerly awaiting the excitement of a new day and a new battle. She was trying to figure out a way to convince Yamiko to be a Sailor Senshi. She looked expectantly Kouken; he was sleeping on the foot of her bed, nestled on top of her purple bunny bedspread. He stretched out and yawned.

"You can't be serious, getting up at an hour like this," he said, glancing over at her matching purple bunny wall clock. "It's only 7:15."

"Gotta," Tokimo told him, "School starts at eight. Most people have to get up earlier, but I get ready extra-quick."

Tokimo grabbed her blue and pink school uniform and walked into the bathroom. After she'd finished getting ready for school, she walked out and grabbed Kouken by the scruff of the neck. Then she unceremoniously shoved him inside her purple backpack, grabbed breakfast and made off for school.

"Do you mind?" Kouken replied vehemently, trying to smooth his disheveled fur. "How would you like it if I shoved you in a bag?"

Tokimo shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been shoved in a bag."

Kouken groaned in frustration. Sighing, he tried to compose himself as he straightened his whiskers. "Anyway, we have a job to do today."

Tokimo nodded in affirmation."Right! We've got to kill Sailor Pinkmoon. I was so close before, too--then that grumpy old man stopped me," Tokimo complained, thinking of the Crimson Eagle. "Jeez! How am I supposed to do the right thing when other people keep interfering?"

"How do you know he's an old man?" Kouken asked. "He could be 25, from the looks of him."

"No, no, he's an old man," Tokimo said stubbornly, "You can tell, because he's grumpy. And old men are grumpy. I should know, because my father's always grumpy. That happens when you work in an big building and wear a suit."

"Somehow I'm not sure I can envision the Crimson Eagle in a suit," Kouken remarked. "But regardless, the next time we attack, we need to be more discreet. It won't be a surprise if we attack during lunch again, and we should probably try not to have school called off, anyway."

"Aww...why not?" Tokimo asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Kouken sighed. "It's too conspicuous. The fewer people that know about the Moon Senshi, the better."

"Oh, right," Tokimo whispered, "I get it. Well, just leave it up to Tokimo Joshi, Mastah Spy."

"Mastah?" Kouken asked. "What is a mastah?"

"It's like "master", only cooler," Tokimo explained

"Uh...right. Getting back to my original intention, we have other things to attend to besides attacking Sailor Pinkmoon."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, there're more Moon Senshi around here somewhere--definitely in Tokyo, and I would venture to say within the district. I can feel them vaguely, but I have trouble pin-pointing their location. "

"Why's that?" Tokimo raised an eyebrow. "Don't mascots always know where to find the heroine?"

"Well, I'm not a mascot out of some comic book," Kouken explained in frustration. "I'm really just here to find the Moon Senshi, give them their stuff, and tell them their general past. The assumption is that you'll start to remember your past life on your own and work towards your goals without me telling you what to do. You may have named me 'guardian', but I'm really just here to set things in motion. You're kind of expected to pick up the slack after that."

"Really? But I don't remember all the details of my past life yet. I definitely don't think I know enough about my past life to work towards our goals without any kind of guardian mascot."

"Well, that's not really that surprising, since you usually remember things gradually. Things will come in little pieces. For example, sometimes things when you're awake will jolt certain memories--like the sight of someone or something that was important in your past. Or sometimes you remember things through dreams."

"Dreams...?" Tokimo said vaguely, remembering her own dream last night. It was a dream from her past, then. But what about the dream from the night before...? Those strange castles didn't seem familiar like the memories of her parents or Sailor Pluto.

"Yes. Why, have you started having them?"

"Err...well, maybe a little." Tokimo replied. "But I'd really rather not talk about it. It was more of a nightmare."

"That's understandable. You didn't exactly leave the Rainbow Millennium with fond memories."

"Yeah..." Tokimo grunted. Kouken wasn't the most socially stimulating company, so Tokimo started looking at the people in front of her, hoping to find a prospective new friend or at least something interesting to look at. Usako was ahead of her, along with the rest of her gang, but now wasn't an opportune time to spy, she decided; there were too many people around in plain view, and besides, there wasn't anything to hide behind. She glanced behind her; Yamiko was hovering a few yards away from her, looking kind of confused. Tokimo smiled and waved as Yamiko approached her.

"What do you want?" Yamiko said with a sigh as she continued to walk.

"I already told you the other day, remember?" Tokimo replied. "But don't worry about my birthday, Yamiko; It's still a long way away. We have important senshi stuff to discuss right now."

Yamiko raised an eyebrow and looked at Tokimo. She wasn't really in the mood for Tokimo's banter right now; she had hardly slept at all last night. Her waking hours were filled with apprehension about what to do about her powers and her mission, and the few precious hours of sleep she got were contaminated with nightmares about her past as Sailor Phoebe. "Okay, whatever," she finally said. Agreeing to put up with Tokimo in the short term was easier than resisting and causing a scene near the school.

"Yamiko," Kouken said seriously, looking at the pale, apathetic girl, "have you decided to accept your mission?"

"I don't know," Yamiko replied, contorting her face in frustration. Last night, the image of her death as Princess Asteria had replayed once again, and the face of her murderer had become disturbingly real. Sailor Saturn had stood scornfully above her, her dark hair blowing in the wind. She had pressed the base of her glaive on Asteria's forehead to keep her head from surfacing above the dark, calm lake...

"Yamiko," Tokimo said, shaking Yamiko slightly, "Yamiko, you in there?"

"Don't touch me!" she said, jerking in surprise and pushing Tokimo's hand away. Tokimo just stood there in mute shock, her face blank.

Shaking her head and regaining her composure, Tokimo frowned in concern. "Calm down," she said to Yamiko. "Did something happen?"

At this point, Yamiko decided, telling Tokimo the truth would probably get the least questions asked. No one was going to believe her if she said that nothing was wrong now. "I had a bad dream last night," she explained, "And I just remembered it suddenly. It's nothing."

"Well, if you say so...Kouken, why don't you just get all this Senshi stuff over with now, and then we won't have to think about it for the rest of the day." Tokimo glanced at Yamiko. "Right?"

Yamiko nodded.

"First thing's first," Kouken began, shuffling around in Tokimo's backpack and pulling out a black and silver watch. He handed it to Tokimo, who offered it to Yamiko with visible excitement. Like a child at a birthday party, Yamiko half expected her to shout "open mine first!" as Tokimo held the watch toward her.

"That's your communicator, Yamiko," Kouken explained. "You can contact Tokimo with it. You just have to type her moon into the bar on the screen."

Yamiko gingerly took the watch from Tokimo's hands and began to investigate it, opening the locket-like covering over its face and experimentally pressing buttons. There was the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "It's nice," she replied.

"So what did you want to tell us, huh?" Tokimo asked, pulling Kouken out of her backpack and holding him in front of her under his armpits. The arrangement looked uncomfortable, Yamiko thought, especially given that Kouken's legs were dangling awkwardly toward the ground without support. He didn't respond to Tokimo's question, although a look of ire was visibly sweeping across his face.

Tokimo waited about a minute; still, Kouken did not respond. Perhaps Tokimo felt that Kouken's lack of response was due to an absence in his mental faculties as opposed to a deliberate choice; Yamiko could think of little else to explain the fact that Tokimo began to vigorously shake Kouken up and down.

"What are you doing?" Kouken complained loudly, flailing his arms wildly as he tried to free himself from Tokimo's grip. Tokimo grimaced as she struggled to keep ahold of Kouken; eventually, he wiggled free and fell with a loud "thump" onto the pavement below.

"Maybe that wasn't so wise," Yamiko said.

"She has a tendency to do things like that, doesn't she?" Kouken winced.

"Actually," Yamiko responded, "I was talking to you."

"Anyway," Kouken said angrily, sitting upright on the pavement, "I need you two to keep an eye out for the Crimson Eagle. If we're not careful, he could seriously get in the way."

"He looked pretty powerful," Tokimo said, picking up Kouken and placing him back in her backpack before they continued walking along.

"What are you two talking about?" Yamiko inquired. "Who is the Crimson Eagle?"

"There was this knight who showed up yesterday, claiming this and that about how senshi were senshi and it was his duty to protect Sailor Moon. Fool..." Kouken sighed.

"Wait...what?" Yamiko replied. "You aren't making this any clearer. What do you mean a knight and 'this and that'?"

"The Crimson Eagle," Tokimo explained. "Really big, black mask, speaks real funny." Tokimo frowned. "And he got in my way! I could have had all this over and done with, but he had to come and spoil my master plans! And I don't even get to miss any more school!"

Kouken and Yamiko exchanged exasperated glances.

"But anyway… what was all that stuff he touted about the duty of knights and sailor senshi?" Tokimo asked, scratching her head.

Kouken sighed.

"Before the war, knights had a sort of code that they followed. There were a few special rules they were supposed to obey, but they basically boiled down to two things; don't tell anyone who you are and protect all senshi equally."

"Protect all senshi equally? What, do they run around in armor and block all the bad guys' attacks?" Tokimo asked in confusion.

"No," Kouken said with a sigh. "It's kind of hard to explain. Basically, it means that if a knight knows two senshi, and he has the choice between saving one or saving the other, he can't choose. It would be breaking the code. He has to protect both of them equally."

"You still haven't explained what a knight is, exactly," Yamiko reminded Kouken, looking irritably toward him.

"You don't even know that?" Kouken said, surprised.

"Why would I?" Yamiko replied.

He sighed. "I knew that Diana had censored and destroyed Rainbow Millennium knowledge from what you had told me earlier, but I didn't realize things were as abysmally bad as this." He shook his head. "But to answer your question, a knight is, to simplify things, a male sailor senshi."

"Ooh!" Tokimo exclaimed in comprehension. "Like Tuxedo Mask! But the Crimson Eagle wasn't wearing a tuxedo. Unless he had it under his armor--not that I would blame him if he did. I mean, a Tuxedo? Talk about a bad uniform."

Yamiko sighed. "I don't think he was wearing one, Tokimo. Maybe they don't always wear tuxedos."

"Oh. Okay," Tokimo replied. "Well, just leave it to me! Tokimo Joshi: Master Spy will find out the secret identity of the Crimson Eagle in no time at all! And then we can convince him how silly being a knight really is!"

"Well, have fun," Yamiko said with a sigh as they approached the school.

"Right. So let's go, Yamiko. We need to watch real careful for suspects." Tokimo said, grabbing Yamiko's arm and whispering in her ear.

Yamiko barely managed to wrench her arm from Tokimo's firm grip. "I'm not watching for anything!" Yamiko replied obstinately. Tokimo was really starting to irk her. "I haven't even decided I'm going to be Sailor Phoebe yet."

"Wow, that's great!" Tokimo replied enthusiastically, "You know who you are. You'll have to transform sometime so I can see your uniform!"

"Shut up!" Kouken hissed. "Some spies you two are, blurting that out!"

"Oops," Tokimo grinned, blushing slightly, "Sorry."

Yamiko just frowned and turned her face away.

* * *

The first class of the day started out pretty quietly. Most people were hurriedly trying to catch up on their reading assignment from the previous day; Yamiko was writing something absentmindedly on her notepad, and Tokimo was searching the classroom from what she felt was the most discreet corner. Tokimo brought her hand up above her eyes as she scanned the room for something important, shielding the sun that wasn't there. Then she took her other hand and cupped it behind her ear, even though there weren't many people talking, and those who were could be heard quite clearly.

"What are you doing?" Kouken asked skeptically.

"I'm looking for suspects," Tokimo replied matter of factly, "And I'm trying to see if I can find out where Usako is going after school today. We can attack her when no one else is around. If we're lucky, we might get her alone."

"She's always with her guardians," Kouken noted.

"Well then," Tokimo replied, "we'll get her in when she's in the bathroom, of course. Her guardians wouldn't dare follow her in there!" Tokimo grinned mischievously. Kouken sighed.

"Hey," he said, "Wait a second." Tokimo could hear sniffing sounds.

Tokimo glanced down at her backpack. "Hey!" She frowned. "I just cleaned my gym clothes last night!"

"No, you fool," Kouken snapped, "There's a senshi in the room. I can feel it. It's vague; I couldn't feel it before because Erik was so close by."

"Why, does his aura have a special scrambling device for ferret-senshi-sensing sensors?" Tokimo asked.

"For what?" Kouken said, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, special scrambling for ferret senshi sensing sensors." Tokimo repeated, tripping over the end of her words.

"No," Kouken said after an awkward pause, "it's because his aura was so strong and peculiar."

Tokimo paused. There was definitely something suspicious about Erik; she'd have to investigate it later. But they needed to deal with this senshi first. "Well," Tokimo said, "Who is it? We have another five minutes before class starts."

"The girl with the short brownish hair, over in the front left hand corner," Kouken said, peaking ever so slightly above the rim of the backpack.

Tokimo looked where Kouken had indicated. Sure enough, a girl fitting Kouken's description was sitting there. Her uniform was in the most modest combination possible; long straight sleeves and an ankle-length skirt. She was writing something on a piece of paper and ignoring everyone and everything nearby.

"We should tell Yamiko," Tokimo whispered to Kouken. Without waiting for Kouken's response, she got up and walked over to Yamiko, who was sketching melancholy pictures of crying ghosts and Victorian ladies all over her notebook. Tokimo put her hands down on the notebook, and Yamiko looked up at her with an intensely annoyed expression.

"I was kind of in the middle of something," Yamiko informed her coldly.

"I know," Tokimo smiled. She inclined her head next to Yamiko's and whispered very quietly. "But there's a new sailor senshi... over there, in the corner," she said, pointing blatantly toward the girl. Yamiko pulled down Tokimo's arm quickly and forcefully.

"Not so conspicuous!" Yamiko hissed.

"Oh, right," Tokimo replied sheepishly.

The girl seemed to have noticed Tokimo pointing toward her; she blushed deeply as a scared expression crossed her face. Trying to ignore the attention, she continued working as though nothing was wrong.

"Maybe we should tell her about her 'destiny' a little more gradually than Kouken told us," Yamiko said, glancing over toward Tokimo's desk and her purple backpack. "It was kind of a nasty shock to us. We should get to know her a little first and then tell her."

Tokimo shrugged. "If you're sure. Personally, I'd want to know as soon as possible," she said with a smile. "Being a Sailor Senshi is too exciting to hold off on finding out!"

"Not everyone feels the same way you do, Tokimo," Yamiko replied.

"Well, not everyone's like you are, either. So let's talk to her and see whether she's cool like me or grumpy like you."

Yamiko frowned. "Excuse me...?"

"See what I mean?" Tokimo remarked, heading toward the girl. Yamiko followed, still annoyed. She felt sorry for that poor girl; she looked pretty shy, like her, and she probably wouldn't want to be bothered by strange people. Quite literally strange, in Tokimo's case.

The girl was still writing. She ignored them as they approached.

"Hello," Tokimo said cheerfully as she stood in front of the girl's desk, "My name's Tokimo. I'm 14, and I'm a freshman. But I suppose you'd guessed that, huh? Anyway, pleased to meet you."

The girl looked up from her writing, a suspicious expression on her face.

"Yamiko Hoshino," Yamiko said hurriedly, "Pleased to meet you. Are we interrupting you?"

"No..." she responded timidly, looking a bit fearful. "What do you want?"

"Why does everyone always ask me what I want?" Tokimo asked in confusion. "Is this some kind of Japanese custom I don't know about?"

Yamiko and Seisui both looked at Tokimo; Seisui smiled weakly.

"You'll have to excuse my friend's eccentric behavior," Yamiko explained, glancing at Tokimo in irritation. "Anyway, we just came over because we thought you looked a little lonely."

"I'm fine. I'm quite absorbed in my writing, actually; it keeps me plenty of company," she responded.

Tokimo picked up the piece of paper; Seisui tried to grab it out of her hands, panic on her face, but Tokimo pulled it out of the way and began to read it. Seisui looked unhappy but didn't resist any further. After a few moments, Tokimo put the blue lined paper back onto the table.

"It's kind of a one-sided conversation, isn't it?" Tokimo asked skeptically.

"What?" Seisui said, perplexed.

"You said it kept you company. But it certainly isn't saying anything to me," Tokimo explained. Seisui just looked at Yamiko quizzically, as though hoping for an explanation; Yamiko shrugged in response. "But anyway," Tokimo continued, "What's your name?"

"Oh! Oh yes, that's right. My name is Seisui Han'i. I'm 13 years old."

"Thirteen?" Yamiko exclaimed, "Isn't that a bit young to be in high school?" Yamiko was 16 and only a freshman; she'd missed a lot of her freshman year at that private school, and she had to repeat. It was a huge embarrassment to have someone three years younger than her in the same freshman English class.

"Well..." Seisui replied, blushing, "I suppose."

"Why're you in high school?" Tokimo asked.

"I, er... skipped a grade." Seisui winced, as if expecting chastisement.

"Wow, that's amazing! You can help me with my homework!" Tokimo smirked evilly. This brainy girl could get her through freshman English eeeasy.

"That's okay," Seisui replied, "I'm kind of busy after school." She looked suspiciously at Tokimo and Yamiko.

"Awww... well, that's okay. I have Yamiko to help me out. Right?" Tokimo said, grinning at Yamiko. Yamiko just sighed.

"You'll have to excuse my friend here. She makes a horrible first impression," Yamiko explained. And second impression, and third impression, and fourth impression...

"No, that's alright." Seisui said, waving her hands nervously in front of her. "It's okay."

"Anyway," Tokimo said matter-of-factly, "The bell's going to ring soon, so I need to get something squared away." Tokimo looked nervously from side to side, making sure that no one was paying attention. Thankfully, the other students seemed too absorbed in their homework to pay attention to anything Tokimo might be doing. She inclined her face toward Seisui's ear. "The truth is, Seisui, you're a Sailor Senshi," she whispered excitedly.

Seisui felt her heart skip a beat. "What did you say? I think I misheard you," Seisui said apologetically.

"I said, 'you're a Sailor Senshi'," she repeated, only very slightly louder. "You know, like Sailor Moon. I don't have time to go into detail now, but we'll explain it after lunch."

Then, as if on cue, the school bell rang. It was sole sound that penetrated Seisui's empty thoughts; the shock of Tokimo's statement had wiped all others away. Seisui was left starting blankly forward as Tokimo and Yamiko both hurried to their seats and pulled out their copies of 'Taming of the Shrew'.

Seisui looked down at the piece of paper she had been writing on. She read the title to herself, soaking in the irony of the situation.

'Essay Against the Ruling Policies of Neo Queen Serenity'.

Sweat dripped down the side of her face. The last thing Seisui wanted was to be a Sailor Senshi. The last thing in the world.

* * *

Usako glanced around the classroom as the bell rang. She, too, saw Seisui sitting dejectedly in the corner; noticing the unhappy look on the girl's face, she motioned toward Hiroshi with one hand.

"Hm?" he responded, looking back at her; Usako motioned toward the girl in the corner. Hiroshi nodded his head in comprehension; even the most socially obtuse of people could see that the girl that Usako had indicated was depressed. Why hadn't any of the students sitting next to the girl noticed? Usako had, and she was sitting all the way across the room.

Erik vonDarkmoor, late as usual, proceeded to walk into the classroom and begin his lecture. The class moved by slowly; Usako and Tokimo kept glancing back toward Seisui. It seemed like a long time before the gentle toll sounded once more and English class ended. When it did, Usako and Tokimo both left with the same promise in their minds: talk to Seisui the first chance they got.

Yamiko, however, was not interested in Tokimo's plans to recruit Seisui into their cause. In fact, she was not interested in being involved with Tokimo in any way at all.

When Yamiko looked up disinterestedly from the doodles on her notebook, she realized that everyone was gone; she hadn't heard the bell ring. Had she really been that absorbed in thinking about the Moon Senshi? Embarrassed, she gathered up her books and got up to leave; she flinched as she walked under the gaze of Erik, who was leaning on the door and looking down at her.

"You're going to be late for your next class," he informed her.

Yamiko frowned. "Oh well," she responded. At least she wouldn't have to walk to class with Tokimo.

Erik raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't I write you a note?" he suggested, walking toward his desk. Yamiko just stood in front of the doorway and looked down at the floor. A few seconds later, he returned, holding a slip of paper in front of her down turned eyes.

"Here," he said as he handed it to her. "Consider this a favor. Try not to come in like this every day, will you? My life's tough enough as it is."

Yamiko gave a fake smile and took the piece of paper gratefully.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Yamiko was dreading the lunch bell. So when she walked outside, she chose the most inconspicuous spot possible in the whole lunch yard and prayed that Tokimo wouldn't notice her.

Seisui was a few yards away, hiding underneath the shade of a huge oak tree.

She was eating her lunch and she looked pretty out of it. She didn't pay any attention to Yamiko or anyone else around her. Before Yamiko could say anything to her, Usako came running up and stood next to Seisui; Usako's other friends, who were following right behind her, situated themselves beside Usako and formed a circle around Seisui.

"Hey," Usako said happily, turning toward Seisui.

Seisui just continued eating, as if she hadn't even heard. Usako frowned, trying to assess a polite way to get her attention; Hiroshi walked up to Seisui and knelt down, putting his face only a few inches away from hers.

"Hello," he said kindly, "Mind if we sit next to you?"

Seisui widened her eyes in abject fear; the proximity of Hiroshi's face seemed to alarm her. Seisui crunched her face in between her knees and knelt over, as if preparing, in all seriousness, to beaten or hurt.

The group widened their eyes in surprise.

"Hiroshi," Usako said gently, "That's a little close."

"I'm sorry," He apologized. "I'm not really from around here. We don't really have the same, um, customs where I'm from, and I'm still learning."

"It's okay," Seisui said timidly, lifting her head cautiously and looking around. "I overreacted. It was a gut response..."

"Well, I apologize all the same," Hiroshi repeated. "I should know by now to be more sensitive."

"Anyway," Usako said, bringing Hiroshi to his feet, "We thought you might like some company. You looked pretty upset during English."

"English?" Seisui responded, a bit confused. She had to stifle a gasp as the horrid memory of Tokimo and Yamiko flooded back into her brain. "Oh, right. English. They put my cat down this morning. He meant a lot to me."

"That's so sad!" Fuyuko said with a sniffle. "If my cat died, I'd be upset for weeks!"

Natsuko jabbed Fuyuko in the ribs; she hiccuped and ceased talking.

"Are you waiting here for some friends of yours?" Usako asked.

"No," She replied, "I'm alone." Maybe eating with Usako would keep away Tokimo, Seisui reasoned.

"Well, my name is Usako. And these are my friends, Haruko, Natsuko, Fuyuko and Akiko," she said, indicating them. "And this is Hiroshi."

"I'm Seisui Han'i."

"Well, Seisui, It's nice to meet you. Tell me if you need anything, okay?" Usako said, pulling out her lunch box. Seisui widened her eyes in astonishment as she looked down at Usako's lunch box; it was nothing short of amazing. The food inside looked almost gourmet. Either Usako's mom was an incredible cook, or she had a lot of money.

Usako looked up at Seisui, who she noticed was gawking at her food. Usako glanced down at Seisui's lunch; it was nothing but white rice.

"Oh," Usako said cheerfully, "You can have it." She put her lunch box in front of Seisui, offering it with a smile. Then Usako started eating Hiroshi's equally extravagant lunch. Who were these people? Why did they have this much food?

Seisui looked guiltily down at Usako's now-abandoned lunch. It did look good; but having nothing but white rice was embarrassing enough. Taking someone else's lunch made her look pathetic.

"No," Seisui replied, "That's okay. I don't want to take your lunch. This is more than enough for me."

"Please, go ahead. One of my mother's friends made this lunch, and she always makes far too much. One of her lunch boxes is easily enough to feed two people."

"Except for Fuyuko," Haruko noted. The blue haired girl was eating her meal with great relish; her fingers were covered in crumbs and egg salad.

"I can't help it," Fuyuko said, licking her fingers between between mouthfuls of food. "It's so good!"

Seisui paused for a moment and looked hesitantly at Usako, who smiled as she motioned for Seisui to go ahead. Seisui reluctantly nibbled on a piece of fried shrimp. She still felt embarrassed, but Usako's easy going attitude about her poverty was reassuring.

By the time fifteen minutes had passed, Usako was inviting Seisui to a movie after school. Seisui enthusiastically agreed to go; even if being accepted by a complete stranger so quickly was suspicious, Seisui couldn't help but feel like her life was finally, finally turning up.

Of course, that was when Tokimo walked up.

"Seisui!" she shouted, waving her hands, "there you are. I've been looking all over for you!" Tokimo turned her head toward Yamiko, who was still sitting nearby; she was innocently eating her lunch, trying to pretend she hadn't seen Seisui's interactions with Usako or Tokimo's sudden glance.

"Sheesh! Yamiko, why didn't you tell me where she was?" Tokimo scolded her.

"I didn't notice her," Yamiko lied.

"Excuse me," Akiko said caustically, "Do you know Seisui?"

"Yes. Actually, I was just becoming her friend. We were planning on going shopping after school today," Tokimo said cheerfully. "We were going to eat lunch together, too. But Seisui is quiet, you know…I think she was afraid of bothering me. So I've been looking for her all this time."

"You're welcome to join us," Usako said, motioning to her circle of friends. Akiko and Natsuko, who were sitting next to each other, politely moved apart to make room.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Tokimo said politely. First priority for Seisui was getting her as far away from Sailor Pinkmoon as possible. "We need to get going," she added, turning toward Seisui expectantly. Seisui's face flushed; she looked visibly nervous and upset.

Usako looked suspiciously at Tokimo. "Why not just eat with us?" she asked. "Is something the matter?"

Tokimo frowned. Seisui looked nervous; maybe Usako thought something was up. "We were planning on eating off school grounds today," Tokimo lied. "We arranged it this morning."

"This morning…?" Hiroshi asked suspiciously, glancing meaningfully at Usako. This morning, Seisui had looked very upset. Maybe she had lied about her cat--maybe Tokimo been harassing her, and that was the real reason Seisui was unhappy. "Do you mean just before English class...?"

"Yeah," Tokimo said cheerfully, nodding her head.

"She looked awfully upset this morning," Usako said. "I don't want to be confrontational, but it looks a little weird if Seisui is upset right after you talk to her--and then, when you come back to see her later in the afternoon, she looks like she'd rather be shot than go to lunch with you."

Tokimo glared at Usako with a look that could kill. She would take on that little pink Senshi later, that was for sure.

"No," Seisui quietly interjected, "She didn't do anything. My cat really did die." She had put down her chopsticks and was clutching her hands nervously together. Whatever happened, she was not going to be the center of any conflict she could possibly avoid--and if there had to be a fight, Seisui wanted to fight face to face. She didn't want to get rid of this Sailor Senshi using a bunch of kids that would beat up Tokimo for her.

"Anyway, we better get going. Lunch will be over in 45 minutes, and the fast food restaurants tend to be crowded this time of day." Tokimo grabbed Seisui by her long sleeve and gently pulled her up; she motioned for Yamiko to follow. Yamiko paused for a moment, looking sourly at Tokimo before packing up her food into her metal lunch box. Then she stood up and unenthusiastically followed Tokimo.

"I can't help but worry about a weird situation like that." Haruko shook her head as she watched the three leave. Usako looked unhappy but didn't say anything.

"We should keep on eye on Seisui," Hiroshi added, "in case she was lying. If they are harassing her, who knows what they'd do to her if she told the truth?"

* * *

Tokimo led Seisui and Yamiko down the street, an annoyed frown on her face as she milled over Usako's accusatory words. Tokimo, Seisui noted, still hadn't let go of her sleeve; the wheat-haired girl glanced over at Yamiko, seeming to inquire 'Is she always like this?' Yamiko nodded, a look of disbelief on her face. When they had reached the closest park, Tokimo finally let go of Seisui and angrily slammed her backpack down on a nearby bench.

An indignant screech resounded through the park. "MUST you throw me around like a stuffed animal?" the backpack, seemingly, shouted in anger and frustration. "Just because I'm your guardian does not mean I'm a plush toy!"

Kouken stuck his head out of the backpack and looked at Tokimo with his most offended glare.

"What in the world…!" Seisui exclaimed, staring at Kouken in shock. "How did you come across a talking ferret?"

"Bad luck," Yamiko replied wearily, kicking the ground with her polished black shoe.

"Don't be silly, Yamiko," Tokimo replied, sitting down on the bench. "The only bad luck is his choice of a certain black-haired team mate."

Yamiko frowned and said nothing; Seisui, beginning to recover from the shock of the talking animal, turned and looked gravely at Tokimo.

"Before this goes any further, I have to tell you: I'm not becoming a Sailor Senshi. I simply can't accept that duty."

"Not another one!" Tokimo looked angrily at Kouken. "Don't ANY of them want to be Sailor Senshi?" Kouken just looked at her icily.

"I have a personal reason for disliking the Senshi," Seisui explained. "Even putting my personal hatred aside, my lack of enthusiasm would make me a poor team member."

"Wait…what did you just say?" Kouken exclaimed, dropping his angered expression and looking toward Seisui in surprise.

"I don't like the Queen," Seisui said, walking backwards a bit and looking extremely nervous, "so I don't want to protect her."

Kouken grinned; Tokimo soon mirrored his expression whilst Yamiko just sighed. Seisui looked very, very afraid; were they going to attack her? She began to back up, prepared to run away at a moment's notice.

"No, no, don't go," Kouken said, "Because this is the side you want to be on. We're against Sailor Moon." Seisui looked dumbfounded; she stood next to the crystalline bench, shocked as Kouken explained the Moon Senshi's story. The odd thing was that once Kouken had really started going into detail about Queen Diana and the Rainbow Millennium, Seisui didn't seem surprised to hear any of it. When Kouken finally finished, Seisui sat down on the bench next to Tokimo and looked thoughtfully into the park.

"When I think about it, this comes as little surprise," Seisui said reflectively, "even if it seems shocking at first."

"But Seisui," Tokimo asked, "Why do you hate the Senshi, exactly?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," Seisui said quietly. "It's very personal." Tokimo frowned in disappointment.

"Well," Yamiko said, walking toward Seisui, "You might want to know that Usako is Sailor Pinkmoon."

Seisui looked shocked; she frowned in disappointment. "I should have known better than to trust someone that blindly accepting," Seisui sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry I didn't keep you from getting to know her sooner," Tokimo apologized, "Now it'll probably be a lot harder for you to kill her."

Seisui shook her head and paused for a moment; her angular eyebrows stood out harshly against her pale skin as they pointed downwards in a look of anger. Tears began to form in her eyes and threatened to fall down her flushed cheeks.

"Huh?" Yamiko noticed the change in Seisui's behavior immediately. Apparently, so did everyone else; not only was Tokimo looking at Seisui with an expression of concern, but even a few people passing by had noticed and momentarily stared before moving on. Something about the way Seisui held herself screamed self-pity.

"It's okay," Yamiko said to Seisui, "I'm not going to fight, either. We can get out of this idiocy."

"No," Seisui said darkly. "You can count me in on this. I'll gladly kill Sailor Pinkmoon."

Kouken nodded and produced a locket and communicator that he seemed to have gotten from nowhere. They were red and blue; ironically close to Sailor Moon's blue and fuchsia Seisui took them gratefully.

"As Sailor Titan, I will aid your in whatever way possible," she said quietly, nodding her head and wiping away her tears. Tokimo looked surprised. How did Seisui know she was Sailor Titan so quickly?

Seisui looked coldly at Yamiko; Yamiko unhappily shook her head.

"Still don't want to join us, Yamiko?" Kouken sighed.

"I haven't got a reason to hate Sailor Pinkmoon," Yamiko said firmly, "and as long as I don't, I'm not going to fight her."

"There may be reasons you aren't aware of, Yamiko," Seisui suggested quietly, "because you never hear about them."

"Such as…?" Yamiko raised an eyebrow.

Seisui hesitated. "The King and Queen…punish those who oppose them," Seisui explained, "because they think dissenting opinions are... 'slander.'"

"I'm not sure I believe you," Yamiko said skeptically, "that doesn't sound like the Queen. She's always been portrayed as very accepting and kind."

"I suppose 'kind' depends on how you look at it," Seisui responded, "But I don't really see any case for accepting."

Yamiko just sighed. Tokimo shrugged and got up, glancing at her communicator's watch. Lunch was going to end in 15 minutes.

"Well, we have to go back to class now, " Tokimo said with a sigh. Turning toward Kouken, she began to smirk. "Unless, of course, we decide to go on the attack again."

"No, Tokimo," Kouken said firmly, "I'm not letting you skip out again using senshi business as an excuse."

"… Please?" Tokimo pleaded, smiling charmingly.

"No, Tokimo," Kouken sighed, "no."

Tokimo pouted but didn't press the issue any further. If he wanted to be a grumpy-dumpy little fuzzy hot dog thing, then he could. But he wasn't getting any cucumbers tonight, that was for sure.

Seisui started to walk back to the school; Tokimo soon ran after her. Yamiko just walked dejectedly nearby the two of them. She was trying her best to get out of this mess, and so far her attempts were working less than perfectly. She just knew Kouken was going to try and find some horrible way to drag her into the fighting. But nothing, Yamiko thought, was going to make her stupid enough to try and kill the princess. Nothing.

* * *

"I think I know when we can attack Sailor Moon," Seisui said, turning toward Tokimo as they walked inside the stuffed animal shop. It had been Tokimo's idea to go after school that day; she was doting over every fuzzy creature that ever set foot, claw or paw into that shop, and making sure to spend a great deal of time cuddling each one.

"I never though snakes could be so cute!" Tokimo squealed, hugging a green plush snake. "I always thought they were gross!" Tokimo turned around and spied a purple bunny with a little carrot in its paws. "And this one goes perfectly with my room! I think he'd be a good replacement for Kouken. don't you agree, Kouken?"

Kouken didn't say anything from his resting spot inside of Tokimo's backpack. Whether he didn't want to arouse suspicion by even whispering or his silence was a form of protest, Seisui couldn't say. It made little difference to her, as Seisui was more concerned with trying to get Tokimo's attention--she had plans to discuss. This was a bit of a challenge; Tokimo was easily distracted and didn't seem interested in holding a serious conversation for more than a few moments. she'd have to use something a bit more innovative than just bluntly introducing the topic.

Seisui walked up to the section of the store where Tokimo was doting over the purple bunny; it was part of a vast display of bunnies, most of them in the same design but several different colors. Seisui looked over the selection for a moment; then she picked up a pink bunny and began looking at it nonchalantly.

"Hm…you like the pink one? He's pretty cute, but I think the purple one is the best."

"Actually," Seisui responded, "I like the black one. I was just looking at this and thinking that it looked like something Usako would like."

"I thought you didn't like her," Tokimo said, confused. "I thought you were joining the Moon Senshi. And anyway, I think her birthday is in June, and it's April now. You've got a long ways to go."

"I wasn't planning on buying her anything," Seisui said with a sigh. "The bunny just reminded me of something she told me earlier today."

"Oh? Whazzat?" Tokimo asked. "Does she have a secret bunny fetish? Ew…."

Seisui blinked and gave Tokimo a strange look. "Uh…no. Actually, it reminded me that she said she was going to the movies today. She invited me, you see."

Tokimo frowned, a hurt look crossing her face. "Well, yeah, I guess...But I thought you were going to hang out with me, and you said earlier you didn't like her, so I don't know why--"

"Oh, no," Seisui interjected, looking apologetic. "It's not because I want to hang out with Usako. Rather, I had a thought during school today."

"Oh," Tokimo began grinning again, "Okay. What is it?"

"I was thinking, maybe I should go to the movie with Usako. Then, when we get to the theater, I would meekly suggest that we should see a tear-jerker. While I'm watching the movie, I'd pretend to be upset by something that happened in the film--presumably, because it reminded me of something that happened to me. I'd run out of the theater, drawing Usako out with me, who would want to see why I was upset. After all, they always talk about how the princess is so sympathetic--judging from what I've seen of her, I'd say it was probably true. When I lure her out, you can attack her, Tokimo. When that happens, I'll run away from the battle--pretending to be afraid--and then join you, transformed, in the offensive later on." Seisui blushed a little. "Well, that was my idea anyway. If you don't like it, that's okay."

"That's a good plan!" Kouken said enthusiastically. "I like it. You're really good at these things."

"Not really," Seisui replied modestly, "My father was a politician, that's all."

"Ah!" Tokimo exclaimed. "Your name is Han'i, right? I thought I recognized it. Your father was that famous council member who got in trouble...I think they said he committed slander. Right?"

Seisui didn't respond well to Tokimo's realization; tears began to well in her eyes. She had made a big mistake by saying her last name--she should have known Tokimo would recognize the name 'Han'i'. Even though they didn't teach students in school about her father's criticism of the queen's incompetence, the incident had occurred recently enough that people still talked about it now and again--it had probably been the most shocking incident in the past 20 years. And to a worldwide society enamored of a life-giving queen, Han'i's slander was seen as unforgivable. Seisui bit her lip as she tried not to think of the repeated harassment she had received because of her father's 'sins'. She could only pray that now that Tokimo knew who Seisui's family was, she wouldn't reject Seisui's friendship.

"Yes," Seisui said. She could feel herself flushing in embarrassment, and she covered her face to try and hide her tears. "That's right."

Tokimo suddenly realized that mentioning Seisui's father was a big mistake. Tokimo looked around and sighed thankfully; no had noticed Seisui crying. She quietly put an arm around Seisui as she lead her out of the stuffed animal shop and brought her to a narrow alleyway between two stores. Seisui continued weeping for a few moments; Tokimo hugged her comfortingly.

"It's okay, Sei," Tokimo said cheerfully, "I don't care if your father didn't like the Queen. From what I've heard about Queen Diana, my respect for the royal family's gone down a lot, anyway. He probably had his reasons for criticizing her. Your father was a councilor, after all; he knew what he was talking about."

"It sounds like your experiences will, if anything, just make you a better Sailor Senshi," Kouken added, "After all, killing Sailor Pinkmoon is your mission."

Seisui nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry," She apologized, "I really, really hate it when this happens. I get set off really easy."

"It doesn't matter if you cry easily," Tokimo said. "You can do lots of other awesome stuff. Like think of really good ideas. In fact, you're so good at thinking of ideas, I might make you my master spy in-training."

"Thanks," Seisui replied quietly, wiping off the last of her tears.

"Besides, if you look sad when you run up to the movie theater at the last minute, it will just look that much more convincing," Kouken added. "It will look a fight broke out between you and Tokimo."

Seisui glanced at her communicator; it was about 20 minutes before the time Usako had told Seisui to meet her in front of the theater.

"We better get going," Seisui told Tokimo; she inhaled in a sort of stuttering gasp, a product of her recent outburst. "You can wait outside the theater until I go in. Once I go in, keep an eye out for me in the lobby. Okay?"

"Okay," Tokimo replied, nodding her head.

Tokimo's shoes clicked cheerfully on the ground-crystal sidewalk as they made their way toward the movie theater; Seisui, she decided, was undeniably cool. This new plan was bound to work. As they approached the movie theater, Tokimo smirked as she saw Usako and her gang walking inside. They were right on time.

"Wait until they get inside," Tokimo told Seisui, who, she thought thankfully, still had the distinct marks of having cried; a red face and eyes, and the tendency to give a stuttering gasp every few minutes. "Once they look like they're discussing what they're going to see, run in like I've just done something awful. That'll make me look real bad."

"Are you sure that's okay with you, Tokimo?" Seisui asked hesitantly, holding her black leather school bag in front of her knees and looking nervously downwards. "I don't want them to harass you because I'm accusing you falsely."

"That's okay," Tokimo said, patting Seisui reassuringly on the shoulder. "Hopefully, Sailor Pinkmoon will be dead by tonight. Without their leader, those other punks won't have the courage to stand up to me anyway."

"What if the plan doesn't work?" Seisui asked nervously, sweat starting to accumulate on the handle of her bag.

"Of course it will work!" Tokimo said complacently, clapping Seisui on the shoulder. "Tokimo never fails!"

"Sure you don't," Kouken replied skeptically. "Anyway, I was thinking..."

"Wow, really?" Tokimo asked, astonishment evident on her face. Kouken gave her a dirty look and stuck out his tongue.

"I was thinking that if this plan does fall through, and we can't kill Sailor Pinkmoon, then Seisui can keep going with this fallacy. Then she can use other opportunities to catch Sailor Pinkmoon off guard. As an added bonus, since Seisui will be able to lure Pinkmoon to unobtrusive or hard-to-find places, we can probably keep the Crimson Eagle from interfering, too."

"The Crimson Eagle?" Seisui asked.

Tokimo nodded vigorously.

"He's this grumpy old man who kept me from killing Sailor Moon," Tokimo explained. "He thinks that killing Sailor Pinkmoon isn't necessary, even though he doesn't give a reason why. He's sooooo annoying!" she exclaimed fervently, holding up two fists and slamming the ground with her foot. "Spewing all this stuff about how if I wanted to kill Sailor Pinkmoon, I'd have to go through him first. That stuffs only cool when it's on the right side. And he's not on the right side!"

"I see. I'll be careful of him; people like that can be dangerous. Anyone who believes too fervently in their own point of view is usually unwilling to listen to reason," Seisui said, looking nervously around the crowd.

"Well, you'd better get going," Kouken said, looking toward the theater, "they're pretty well settled in the lobby and it looks like they're starting to discuss what movie they're going to see."

"Right," Seisui said with a nod. She waved as she ran off to the movie theater and tried to put herself in an unhappy frame of mind. That was easy enough.

All she had to do was think of her father.

* * *

"I want to see something romantic," Haruko insisted, twirling her finger through her curly fuchsia bangs. "We always see comedies."

"But, but," Fuyuko protested, "But I wanna see something funny! And anyway, romance movies are always so cheesy."

"Oh, I don't feel like comedy either," Akiko protested, "Let's go with something a little more--"

Something slammed headlong into Akiko's back; she almost fell backwards with the force of impact. Regaining her balance, she turned around and saw Seisui, who was panting and looked more than a little upset.

"I'm sorry," Seisui gasped, trying to regain her breath, "I didn't mean to bump into you."

"That's okay," Akiko replied irritably, brushing off her short black skirt, "I should have seen you coming."

"I hope it's okay if I come in at the last minute," Seisui blushed furiously, realizing that what she was doing was very rude. "But I needed something to distract me for awhile, and I knew you guys had invited me, so--"

"It's no big deal," Hiroshi assured her, smiling supportively. His innocent face was enough to make even Seisui feel a little guilty. "We're happy to have you. But I can't help noticing... what happened to you?"

Seisui looked nervously at the crowd and Usako's friends. Hiroshi seemed to suddenly realize something and then shook his head apologetically.

"We'll talk about this later," he said reassuringly. "I suppose now is not the time."

"We were discussing what movie we wanted to see," Usako explained to Seisui, "We can't decide, although most people want something dramatic. We usually watch comedies."

"I like the Disney movies," Fuyuko said guiltily. Natsuko rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you choose," Hiroshi suggested, turning toward Seisui.

"Oh...I couldn't," Seisui said modestly. "I've already barged in on you...I mean...maybe it would be better if I just left. I don't want to get in your way."

Usako looked at Hiroshi, her expression concerned. Modesty was one thing, but to be this submissive...what had Seisui been through before they had met her? She hoped Hiroshi wasn't right, but she did have a sinking feeling that it might have something to do with that aggressive girl that she saw earlier that day. If so, it was her responsibility to be a friend to this poor girl. Someone had to.

"No, please," Usako said earnestly, "we can't decide, anyway. It's just as well if you choose."

Seisui looked a bit reluctant; Usako could see that making a choice made her uncomfortable. In Seisui's mind, she hypothesized, this was an opportunity to say the wrong thing and make Usako dislike her from the start. Usako smiled encouragingly, hoping to assuage her fears.

"Come on, Seisui," Hiroshi urged her, "If you don't choose, we'll be late for the movie. We don't care what you pick."

Seisui bit her nails nervously, looking from poster to poster. Now was her chance; she had to make sure and choose a movie that would fit the criteria for their plan. She looked carefully through her choices. There was a comedy about a man running a female dorm...a romance about two guys that fall for one girl...lastly, there was a fantasy about a princess who struggles with the responsibilities of ruling in the place of her father after he dies. The last film was perfect, Seisui thought. The plot would get her upset about what happened to her father anyway, and she could use that to make her performance more believable. Seisui looked shyly toward Usako. "I was thinking... The Lone Deity," Seisui said, being careful not to make eye contact.

"That's the film I wanted to see!" Natsuko said happily. "All right! You have good taste, Seisui."

"Not really," Seisui responded.

"Okay," Hiroshi told the group decisively, "It looks like that will be the movie we see. From now on, though, I think we should rotate who gets to choose. That way we won't get into anymore of these silly fights."

They entered the huge movie theater in one big clump; Seisui was toward the center, with Usako and Hiroshi. They were talking to her and pretending to have an interest in learning more about the history of the Senshi--a topic which, of course, they already knew everything there was to know about. Seisui played along and smiled weakly as she told them a few little known facts that she had picked up in history class. She almost laughed at the irony; little did they realize that they would soon know all about a bloody, forgotten chapter in the history of the Sailor Senshi.

The movie was actually pretty good, Seisui thought to herself. The characterization was well done, so she was able to get quite interested in what was happening. The climax of the movie that critics had been raving about was when the Princess, after holding contempt for the lower class, falls in love with a servant who works in the palace. When she cruelly orders him around like a slave, the servant tells her that she is a shame to her father's name. It was after the servant's harsh and accusatory speech that Seisui stood up and starting walking through the row she was seated in.

"What's wrong?" Usako whispered. Seisui was holding her head down low, so that her hair covered her face. This may have made her look more upset, but it obscured her view; she almost tripped over Usako while she was walking down the row of seats. Usako, seeming to realize that Seisui was upset, tried to reach out her hand and grab Seisui's wrist, but Seisui sped up the aisle before she had the opportunity. She smiled. Thudding lightly behind her were the footsteps of two people; Usako and Hiroshi, no doubt. Her mission was proceeding smoothly.

* * *

When they got out to the lobby, Usako and Hiroshi could see Seisui sitting on a bench; although she wasn't facing the theater, Usako could see that she had her hands to her face and was quivering slightly. Usako walked in front of her and put a hand on her head. Seisui shook her head and pushed Usako's hand away; then she covered her face once more.

"Go away," Seisui said, her voice distorted with tears and muffled by her hands, "I'll be fine."

"Tell me what's wrong, Seisui," Usako said kindly. "You shouldn't have to suffer like this alone."

"I'm not suffering," Seisui said unconvincingly, "I'm just... I'm just having a bad day."

Hiroshi put his hand on her shoulder. "Seisui...we're friends now," he said gently. "You need to tell us what's on your mind."

Seisui looked up, her face covered in tears. It was a good thing the movie had been well-written; the scene actually had been pretty depressing, and she was able to cry convincingly. She wiped her tears off with her hands; she could see a Sailor Senshi she presumed was Tokimo, quietly approaching Usako, Kouken right behind her. If Seisui could keep their full attention, Tokimo could come right up behind Usako.

"It's just--it reminded me of my father," Seisui explained, looking down at the ground, "And how I disappointed him. That's all."

"How did you disappoint him?" Usako asked kindly. Seisui's father...he must have recently died, and Seisui, Usako surmised, must have blamed herself for it.

"I should have told him that the queen wasn't deserving of that kind of criticism. Then, nothing would have changed. We'd still be the same family, and he'd have kept his job..."

Usako looked at Hiroshi, whose reply was a look of astonishment. Criticism….She couldn't mean…?

"Seisui... do you mind if I ask you something?" Hiroshi inquired, his voice sympathetic.

"What is it? I don't really feel like answering questions..." She replied. She looked upwards between her bangs and noticed that Tokimo was progressing ever closer, though she was moving agonizingly slow. Now she was only a yard or two away.

"You said your last name was Han'i, right?"

Seisui looked upwards at them, her face full of fear. She looked reluctant to respond.

"That's why Tokimo mistreats you, isn't it, Seisui? Because of who your father is. She's just using you because she knows how vulnerable someone like you must be," Usako said.

"It's not even so much that," Seisui said unhappily. Half a yard... "I know Tokimo hates me, but it doesn't bother me so much. At least she doesn't openly call me names or harass me. It's more so that I know what happened to my father happened because I just sat back in fear while he did the wrong thing." Seisui looked down shamefully, her hair obscuring her face once more.

"But Seisui, there's nothing wrong with--"

Her sentence was cut short; at that moment, Sailor Charon rushed onto Usako's back, pinning her. Usako cringed as if expecting a blow from behind; Hiroshi turned and stared at Sailor Charon, his face contorted in anger. He started to approach Usako, but Sailor Charon sat up on Usako's back and held out her naginata, swinging it like a bat whacking Hiroshi aside with the flat of her blade. He fell down on his stomach--Usako, sweating and terrified, looked toward him and held out a hand; before Hiroshi had the chance to respond, however, Sailor Charon quickly grabbed it and held it down.

Seisui jerked her head upwards, her mouth wide-open in dismay. Why hadn't Charon killed her yet? Her naginata was still in her hand, ready and able to impale Usako at any moment. Seisui turned and glanced in the direction Sailor Charon had come from; then she began to move backwards, shaking in fear. There was as man there, tall and dark and menacing; a black mask covered his face. He was holding an iron ring in his hand; as Seisui turned back to Charon, she could see another ring fixed in the floor, red around one edge. There was a small cut on Charon's arm; the ring, Seisui assumed, had cut Charon when the strange man threw it.

"You will not hurt her," he demanded calmly. "I will not allow you to kill a Sailor Senshi."

The Crimson Eagle; it had to be. Seisui ran out of the lobby and headed for the white marble bathroom; someone was going to have to back up Tokimo. When she reached the restroom, Seisui shoved the pine door marked "ladies" aside. She glanced around the facility quickly.

"Is anyone in here?" she shouted. If someone saw her transform, it would be a very, very bad thing--thankfully, there was no one inside. Whatever happened, no one must find out that a member of the Han'i household was a Sailor Senshi.

"Titan prism power, make up!" she cried as a strange, black fluid wrapped around her and her Senshi uniform appeared. After she had transformed, she shoved the bathroom door back open; it hit the wall with a huge clang.

When she stepped into the lobby, everyone, even the Crimson Eagle, turned and stared. Her collar was a vivid, violent red; her bow was the same deep, sad blue as her eyes. She did not give an impression of strength, but the unhappiness she radiated was intimidating.

"The soldier of retribution has arrived," Sailor Titan said quietly. "Sailor Pinkmoon, I will spill your blood for the sake of my moon and the rest of this solar system."

Sailor Charon turned and looked back toward the Crimson Eagle, whose sword was still pointing straight at her. Dammit all, that old man wasn't going to let her kill Sailor Pinkmoon--if Charon tried to kill her now, the Crimson Eagle could kill Sailor Charon just as quickly. There was no point in continuing to pin the pink-haired girl. Sailor Charon made her naginata vanish; she got up slowly and backed away from Usako. Hiroshi looked toward Usako and began to get up.

"What are you doing?" Sailor Titan asked, looking toward Charon in surprise. "She was as good as dead! Why did you move away?"

"The Crimson Eagle would have killed her if she attacked Usako, Titan," Kouken said gravely, looking Sailor Titan straight in the eye. "The fight wasn't going anywhere. There was nothing she could do."

"So?" Sailor Titan asked. Kouken and Sailor Charon looked toward her in surprise.

"Are you suggesting that I loose my most valuable fighter so that Sailor Pinkmoon can be killed? There will be plenty of other chances for you and Sailor Charon." Kouken told Sailor Titan, looking at her with a condemning expression. "Why are you so anxious?"

"We don't know Tokimo would have been killed! Besides, if he's not willing to kill Sailor Pinkmoon to save the solar system, I hardly think he's serious about killing Charon!" Sailor Titan replied. Then she pointed at Usako accusingly and began to move menacingly toward her. "She tore apart my father! I don't want to wait any longer to watch her die, just because of some knight...!"

Usako backed away a little as Sailor Titan approached her; Hiroshi ran in front of Pinkmoon. He was ready to fight, if it came to that.

"Transform," he told Usako quietly.

"But--"

"Just do it!" He urged her as Sailor Titan approached them.

"Pink crystal moon power, make up!" Usako cried as she transformed into Sailor Pinkmoon in a flurry of pink. Then she held her glass bell high above her head.

"Twinkle yell!" she shouted. Hiroshi's clothes distorted and changed into those of Helios, Priest of Elysion; then he knelt down and looked calmly toward Sailor Titan.

"If my companion is not able to kill you," Sailor Titan said, her voice ice-cold, "then I will."

"Sailor Charon," Kouken shouted, running toward Charon and standing at her feet. He leaned toward her and spoke in a whisper. "You had better call Yamiko. Things are getting out of hand, and I'm worried about what Sailor Titan might try. I want to kill Sailor Pinkmoon, but not at the expense of Seisui hurting herself."

Sailor Charon nodded and opened her communicator.

"You truly are an angry and horrible child," The Crimson Eagle said, moving in front of Sailor Titan. "I will not allow that anger to run freely. You must cease this useless fighting."

"And what if I don't?" Titan cried self-righteously.

"Then I will have to stop you." He said, cringing slightly. "I will do whatever is necessary."

"Have you forgotten what her great-grandmother did to your people? To you? Will you just sit back and let her return?" she asked, gesticulating spiritedly.

"No, I have not forgotten. But if we were to kill Sailor Pinkmoon in retribution, we would be no better than Diana herself."

"Nothing is worse than Diana," Sailor Titan replied. "Nothing is worse than the tyranny of the Moon Kingdom's blood. Of that I'm certain--and if you do not move, I'll go through you."

"This is getting bad," Kouken said to Sailor Charon, who was frantically calling Yamiko.

Several agonizing moments passed by as the Crimson Eagle and Sailor Titan glared menacingly at each other. Charon cringed as she hoped desperately for Yamiko to pick up on the communicator; Eventually, they heard a voice.

"What do you want?" Yamiko said peevishly, a towel covering her hair. "If you're trying to get me to kill Sailor Pinkmoon--"

"That's not all it is, this time," Kouken interjected, talking in a lowered voice. "Seisui--rather, Sailor Titan--is practically in a frenzy. The Crimson Eagle is protecting Sailor Pinkmoon--she's going to kill herself trying to go through him! She can't kill him alone, let alone Pinkmoon. And she won't listen to us. We need you to come in and help us stop her."

"What if I say no?"

"Then you'll regret it when Diana has you in her power," Kouken said angrily, "And when Sailor Titan is bloody and in pieces because you weren't here to help her."

Yamiko hesitated and looked off to the side, her expression showing hints of guilt.

"Help her yourself, instead of wasting time talking to me," Yamiko replied defensively.

"I already told you she wouldn't listen. You have to get over here," Kouken demanded. "Get over here, Yamiko, or you'll regret it!"

Yamiko's face changed from one of passive defense to open disdain. She scowled. "I'm not taking orders from you!" Yamiko shouted. "I'm sure as hell not going over there now! Not unless--"

"Not unless what?" Kouken asked furiously.

Yamiko hung up. Sailor Charon looked at Kouken and shook her head.

"You're both way too stubborn, you know that?" Sailor Charon told him.

"Be quiet for now. Concentrate on helping Sailor Titan."

"You will not touch Sailor Pinkmoon," the Crimson Eagle insisted, pointing his katana toward Sailor Titan. "Surely you can't desire some innocent girl's death so strongly? What has she ever done to you?"

"More than you realize," Sailor Titan replied, her face twisting in anger as a tear fell down her cheek.

"This is a good opportunity," Kouken said, turning toward Sailor Charon. "You should attack Pinkmoon now, while she's distracted by those two arguing. At least Sailor Titan's irrational behavior has served some purpose." Sailor Charon nodded and turned toward Sailor Pinkmoon and Helios; she held out her naginata.

"Space-time blast!" She cried as a small, translucent ball hurled itself toward Pinkmoon and Helios. Soon, it expanded into a dome of crackling energy and engulfed them. Pinkmoon knelt down and held onto Helios; she could feel the familiar nauseous sensation welling up within her, and she was on the verge of throwing up. Sailor Titan smiled as she saw that Sailor Charon had given her an opportunity; before The Crimson Eagle could react, her arms were pointing diagonally on either side of her and a volley of strange, black water began to fall from them. She held out her hands toward Pinkmoon, and the stream was soon heading straight toward the weakened couple.

"Black stream death!" she cried as a countless number of strange, faceless heads with the ravenous teeth of an animal materialized from the streaming liquid and launched themselves at Pinkmoon. The strange mouths tore at her monstrously, ripping pieces out of hers and Helios's skin. Sailor Titan looked on regretfully, but her face showed no real guilt.

"How dare you attack a defenseless girl!" the Crimson Eagle cried, scowling at Sailor Titan. "Do you have any honor?"

"She's hardly what I would call defenseless," Sailor Titan retorted coldly. "After all, she is the only one here with a crystal. Or did you forget what she did to us in the past? By defending her, you support the resurrection of Diana and the destruction of us all."

"She was completely disabled by Sailor Charon's attack," The Crimson Eagle replied, ignoring the latter part of Sailor Titan's response. "If you touch her again, I'll have to--"

"Have to what?" Sailor Charon replied. "Have to kill Titan? You said that killing Senshi is wrong. If you're gonna protect Pinkmoon because it's not right to kill senshi, you can't take preference to one side and defend Sailor Pinkmoon over Sailor Titan!"

The Crimson Eagle paused; his sword hand trembled slightly. Sailor Titan smirked and walked toward Sailor Pinkmoon, ready to attack again. Sailor Charon's attack had begun to wear off; the dome was disintegrating.

"Don't worry, Pinkmoon," Helios said soothingly, brushing his hand across her forehead, "These wounds aren't too serious. I can heal them."

Helios knelt down and began to pray, though he himself was still bleeding in several spots. Sailor Pinkmoon stood up with a little difficultly and hesitated; She didn't want him to expend his energy just to help her. Helios's well-being was far more important than hers. After all, she was just a replacement Sailor Moon; Helios was the only priest Elysion had.

Sailor Titan wasn't going to let Helios get very far, though--he had only just begun to heal Sailor Pinkmoon when Sailor Titan walked toward her, her red boots clicking lightly on the marble floor.

"Maybe this is really all your mother's fault, or your great-grandmother's," Sailor Titan said blandly, "But you will carry on their legacy."

Sailor Titan held her hands diagonally at her sides once more as she prepared to attack. As the foul, viscous black water began to stream down her small, slender arms, the Crimson Eagle launched forward, his black and crimson cape flowing behind him and revealing his menacing iron armor. The reverse edge of his blade was facing toward her, ready to knock her down.

Sailor Titan turned and attempted to redirect her attack at the last minute. But was too late. The Crimson Eagle was going to hit her….

"SHADOW DRAGON!" A voice cried as a huge, black dragon flew toward Sailor Titan and The Crimson Eagle. The attack rammed itself into Sailor Titan, throwing her against a nearby wall and cutting her on the stomach and arms. The Crimson Eagle had tried, unsuccessfully, to duck at the last minute; the dragon hit his shoulders and he slid across the smooth marble floor as his back rammed into a nearby pine-board wall. Sailor Charon looked enviously at the Crimson Eagle's armor, which had protected him from being badly cut.

Tokimo looked toward their attacker; it was a Sailor Senshi. With ghost-like skin and inky hair, She stood eerily in front of the night sky that shone through the glass doors to the theater. The Senshi looked vacantly at the scene before her. Her sailor uniform had a deep black collar and skirt; contrasting strongly with this black uniform was the glinting silver of her bows and earrings. Her ice blue eyes glanced toward Sailor Titan with the smallest hint of frustration.

Yamiko, Tokimo thought--she had transformed into Sailor Phoebe. Tokimo looked at Kouken, who was seething with rage.

"What are you doing?" he screamed. "You could have killed Sailor Titan!"

"She was trying to kill Sailor Pinkmoon," Sailor Phoebe replied defensively.

The Crimson Eagle stood up slowly, cringing slightly from the pain of Sailor Phoebe's attack.

"You didn't have to attack me," He said, groaning in pain. "If you were really aiming to protect Sailor Pinkmoon, then we're on the same side."

Sailor Phoebe blushed in embarrassment "I didn't do it on purpose," she mumbled.

Sailor Charon shook her head, trying to focus despite the distractions; this was no time to pay attention to Phoebe. She rushed to Sailor Titan's side, her expression worried.

"Sailor Titan!" Sailor Charon shook Sailor Titan's bony shoulders forcefully, hoping for a reaction. "Sailor Titan!" she cried again, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Erggghh…" Sailor Titan grunted, grabbing Sailor Charon's wrist and pulling her hand away, "I'm fine. Sailor Charon, right? I just feel like crap." She frowned and looked toward Sailor Pinkmoon; her wounds had been healed and Helios was standing at her side once more, though he was leaning on Pinkmoon and panting lightly. "Dammit all…we almost had her."

"It's all Sailor Phoebe's fault," Sailor Charon said angrily, glaring at Phoebe. "She attacked you. She's a traitor!"

Sailor Titan and Charon looked toward Sailor Phoebe, their expressions disgusted and vicious. She backed away uncomfortably; the Crimson Eagle walked toward her and put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"We're doing the right thing," he told her firmly. "Killing another Senshi is wrong."

Sailor Phoebe nodded weakly.

"I need to know," Sailor Pinkmoon began, turning toward Sailor Titan and Charon, "why are you attacking me? What have I done to deserve being murdered?"

"You and your mother have committed horrible crimes, and you run the government poorly. People are not allowed to criticize the queen and are forbidden the right to autonomy," Sailor Titan explained. "Not only that, but the soul of your dead great-grandmother, Queen Diana, will return in your daughter. Queen Diana made the planets turn traitor against the moons to destroy our rule; then, our power stripped bare, she murdered all of us alongside our families. Anyone in the royal families or their administration who did manage to survive on the moons were thoughtlessly burned away with the Silver Crystal. If her soul returns, it will be the death of us all."

"Maybe you're right about Diana, I can't see anything that the current queen has done to harm anyone! You say she has committed these crimes, but Endymion has forbid criticism of the queen for valid and compelling reasons," Pinkmoon explained. "My mother takes everything far too personally! If people were just allowed to say whatever they felt like about her--especially if it was insulting or critical--her guilt over disappointing their expectations would burden her so much that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on ruling anymore. She was already weakened enough from the people's mistrust when she first took the crown, and that was the opening for the Death Phantom!"

"A ruler who can't take insults? That's pretty unreasonable," Charon said. "Everyone is gonna have faults, and when you're in charge, everyone notices them. If you can't take the abuse of mean people, you shouldn't be in a job where you're exposed to them all the time."

"So basically, you're outraged because the queen has forbidden people's right to be mean and abusive? That hardly sounds like a just and worthy cause. It's not right to ask anyone, let alone the queen, to be okay with the cruelty--verbal or otherwise--of others," Helios replied.

"Your so-called 'verbal cruelty' is an important check on the queen's power!" Sailor Titan replied angrily, clenching a blood-stained fist. "People's criticism, mean or otherwise, provides important feedback to rulers and lets them know what they're doing wrong. Without someone to tell you you're making mistakes, those mistakes can and will turn into catastrophes! That was what lead to the Death Phantom! The allowance of the Queen to rule incompetently."

"You sound like Councilor Han'i," Helios replied, annoyed. "Talking as if you would make a better queen than Serenity! What do you know about running the world? Maybe you should leave it to someone who has the experience."

"On Earth, kings and queens from royal families were often inbred lunatics who couldn't count--let alone rule--and they often led their countries for many years," Sailor Titan retorted, her brows furrowed in anger. "Just because your name has the word king or queen in front of it and you have so-called 'experience' does not mean you're competent. Indeed, the queen shows every sign of being an incompetent ruler--she's monolingual and doesn't even have a college education!"

"Yeah," Charon agreed. "'Experienced' can mean you're experienced at sucking at it!"

"What are we going to do?" Sailor Phoebe asked the Crimson Eagle. "They can't keep arguing like that forever. Eventually, Titan will get sick of answering Sailor Pinkmoon's questions and attack. Then a fight will break out again."

"The minute a fight breaks out, I'll be between them." The Crimson Eagle looked down toward Sailor Phoebe. His cold brown eyes were the only part of his face she could see; his iron mask hid his expression beneath a layer of black. "Are you with me?"

Sailor Phoebe nodded.

"There has to be another way to solve all of this," Sailor Pinkmoon interjected. "Arguing about it here certainly isn't going to change anything."

"You're right," Sailor Titan said coldly, raising her arms slightly.

"Hold on," Sailor Charon said, laying the handle of her naginata across Sailor Titan's arms. "It's no good. There's four of them and only two of us--now that Sailor Phoebe's a traitor, we're gonna have to attack some other time."

Sailor Titan stood there; she clenched her fists tightly as tears of frustration flowed freely down her face. "Fine," she replied bluntly. "Fine. Let's go."

Sailor Charon, Kouken and Sailor Titan turned around; Charon lead the way outside of the building. The other senshi watched them silently.

"Are you joining us?" Sailor Pinkmoon asked, breaking the silence as she turned toward Sailor Phoebe and The Crimson Eagle. "After all, you seem to be against this battle…we could probably convince the rest of the Moon Senshi to stop fighting us more easily if our numbers were greater. Especially since you're apparently fellow Moon Senshi."

"It may not prudent for us to join you," the Crimson Eagle explained, "Even if our goals are the same. Just because I believe that Sailor Titan's actions are too hasty does not mean that I believe you are just people--Sailor Titan, after all, seemed to have more reason to hate you than just the crimes of you great-grandmother."

"Who is my great-grandmother?" Sailor Pinkmoon asked. "You keep mentioning her. What was so awful about her?"

"Her name was Queen Diana. We hate her because she destroyed our kingdoms and our families, and she killed us, as well. If you have a daughter, Diana's memories will be reborn inside of her, and history will be repeated." Sailor Phoebe explained.

"Do you hate her, too?" Sailor Pinkmoon asked, looking toward the expressionless mask of the Crimson Eagle.

"I'm not sure," he replied coldly. "I don't think I have any right." He turned toward Sailor Phoebe. "I hope you will join me again the next time we meet. I fear it will be very soon."

The Crimson Eagle turned around and began walking out the door, his feet clanging loudly on the marble floor. His armor scraped against itself as he walked.

"Wait a second, I thought--"

He turned around and looked at Phoebe; even without seeing his face, she knew he did not want her to follow. She watched sadly as he left; he disappeared as soon as he walked outside.

"I thought allies were supposed to work together," She mumbled to herself, making her way toward the door. "Not just run off the second the fit's over." Now Sailor Phoebe was more sure than ever that she didn't like being a senshi--they were all insane.

Sailor Pinkmoon turned toward Sailor Phoebe. "If you don't mind--"

"I have to go now," Sailor Phoebe interjected, turning around. "I have to finish my homework."

Sailor Pinkmoon watched as Sailor Phoebe also went out the door, leaving Sailor Pinkmoon standing there in bafflement.

"I think maybe we're in over our head," Helios told her, "And that's saying a lot, for someone with three thousand years of history behind him."

"I still don't want to talk to Mama," Pinkmoon insisted. "She'd just try to bring in the planetary senshi and have them take care of it. Maybe we should think about what Sailor Titan said. On one hand, she may be an extremist...but on the other, maybe it's just that she's the only one who's been brave enough to say anything."

"I don't think so," Helios disagreed. "I think we'd hear more about it if that were true."

"But we do hear about it sometimes, from the foreign governments. A lot of people don't like being ruled by a foreign country...let alone by the Moon. Maybe my mother shouldn't spread her control so far."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like we hear about armed revolts or anything like that. The only real opposition we've ever had are Sailor Titan and councilor Han'i."

"Helios...you don't think that...?"

"No," Helios stated firmly, "No, that's not how Seisui acts at all. I thought of it too; but it just doesn't fit. Their personalities are completely opposite."

"Yeah...I guess so."

"Speaking of which... why don't you go find her? I'll go get the other Senshi and bring them up to speed."

"Okay."

Usako untransformed and began looking for Seisui. She looked in the bathrooms and the closets; she even peeped in a couple of the theaters, but decided that going through and looking at every seat in every theater in the complex wasn't an efficient way to spend time. In the end, she decided that Seisui had probably gotten scared and run home through the emergency exit.

Usako made her way back to the lobby to meet up with her friends. When she got there, they all went home together. She had to spend an hour convincing the four girls not to tell the Queen.

She'd handle this alone if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

"Here you go," Tokimo told Seisui as she walked up to Seisui's front door, "You're home. Craaazy night, huh?"

"Yeah," Seisui replied dully. "Crazy."

"You know, you're really weird, Seisui. You're all outgoing when you transform, but you're as quiet as...well, quiet as something that's reeeal quiet when you're just...umm...not-senshi. Yeah. Anyway, you did a really good job, and that was real clever, hitting her right after I did the space-time blast. Next time we'll cream her, and this'll all be done with!"

"You said that last time, Tokimo," Kouken sighed.

"Well, last time we were just getting warmed up. That, and it was just me because Yamiko's a traitor."

"Right. So it was warm-up this time, too?" Kouken retorted.

"Yes," Tokimo replied matter-of-factly.

"Anyway... I better get going," Seisui said timidly. "I still have to do my homework."

"Oh, right. You take school seriously, don't you? Well, I'll be seeing you, then. Don't let the homework-bugs bite."

"Homework bugs?" Kouken asked dubiously.

"Right. Bye bye, now." Tokimo said, walking away as she waved her hand violently.

"Bye bye." Seisui said quietly as she left.

Seisui turned around and looked at her house. She hated her house. It was small and kind of grungy; after her father had lost his job as royal councilor, the queen had employed him in a 'harmless' occupation. That is, a custodian. But, she thought as she opened the door, that wasn't what made her feel so bitter.

Seisui walked inside and saw her mother working at the small, plastic dining room table. She was typing a paper on the computer that the company had lent to her; she was a secretary. She looked up from her work for a moment when Seisui entered the house.

"Welcome home," she said, her voice strained. "Why are you so late? Did you make some friends in school?"

"No, Mom," she said gravely, "I found out something very surprising today."

She took out the locket and showed it to her mother, who pulled her mousy blond hair back from her face to look at the intricately crafted red and blue locket.

"What is this? It looks a bit like that woman's locket, from when she first transformed," she said, a distasteful expression flitting across her face. "Why would you have something like this?" She handed the locket back to Seisui.

Seisui put the locket carefully away into the light blue pocket of her uniform and looked at her mother. "Mom...the truth is, I'm a sailor senshi--Sailor Titan. There's a group of senshi called the Moon Senshi; there's one for every moon in Sol. In the past, Sailor Moon murdered us, but we've returned in the 31st century to seek vengeance."

Seisui's mother raised her eyebrows. Seisui knew that her mother didn't believe her; she hadn't expected her to. Fortunately, there was an easy way to remedy that.

"Titan prism power, make up!" Seisui cried, transforming into Sailor Titan in a sweep of black water.

Her mother gaped in awe. "I'm dreaming," She told herself. "I fell asleep at my desk."

"No, Mom," Sailor Titan told her, "You're not dreaming. It's me. Slap yourself, if you don't believe me."

Her mother did just that; she slapped herself lightly against the cheek, still gaping in awe as she realized she was, indeed, awake.

"I'm going to tell Dad," Sailor Titan said, "I'm going to tell him. If anything will make him remember...remember how he used to be...this will."

"You know nothing will change him, Seisui," she said. "You need to realize that. Just give up. Just learn from your father's horrible mistakes, and don't repeat them!"

"No, Mom," she replied fervently, "I'm not going to let our family live in disgrace a moment longer. I'll kill Sailor Pinkmoon--it's part of my destiny--and I'll bring honor back to our family."

"You're crazy."

"Maybe. I don't care anymore. I'm going to try and bring Dad back. Is he home?"

"He's in the backyard," She replied in resignation. "But I'm telling you, it's no use. There's nothing you can do to bring him back. It's far too late for that now."

"I don't care," Sailor Titan said. "I have to try." She walked out their back door, intent on her purpose. She could see her father in their backyard: a small plot overflowing with plants. Plants were the only frivolous thing they spent their money on; Seisui's sister and mother both adored them. Her father was in the garden, staring blankly forward and sitting absentmindedly in a white rocking chair.

"Dad," Sailor Titan said, coming up behind him. Her father was 120, though he still looked no older than 30; in the 31st century, nobody aged or died.

Her father stood up and faced her, smiling blankly. "Why, hello," he said cheerfully, "Who are you? I don't recognize your colors, and I used to be quite familiar with the senshi, you know."

"It's Seisui, dad. I'm a senshi. I'm Sailor Titan."

"My!" he said in dull surprise. "My own daughter, a senshi. Have you finally realized how kind the queen really is, now that you're one of her guardians?"

Titan bit her lip to hold back the tears rapidly forming in her eyes. She would never, ever forgive Serenity for what she did to him.

"Why are you upset, Seisui?" he asked her gently.

"I'm going to kill Sailor Moon," Seisui said angrily, "for what she did to you. I'll never forgive her for what she did to you!"

"Seisui, calm down, please," he implored her. "Serenity did me a favor by purifying me."

"She killed you. She killed you! You're not my father." Her father began to walk toward her, his arms outstretched to embrace her. Sailor Titan began to back away in disgust. "Go away," she said quietly as tears streamed down her scarlet cheeks, "go away. I don't want to touch you. She took away everything that made you my father."

Sailor Titan turned around and ran to her room. Her plan didn't work. Sailor Titan didn't bring back her father.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Dad," She said quietly. "But I'll make sure to get revenge for you."

Her father held out his hand as though imploring Sailor Titan to stay. But she didn't listen.

She was going to kill that brat.

_EPISODE TWO: FIN_

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Seisui: **With a tongue of fire and a heart of ice, a new senshi appears. Will her personal hatreds fuel her will to join our fight or extinguish it?

**Tokimo: **Kindness and purity are ideals to aim for. But what happens when we're forced to embrace them?

**Yamiko:** Wrongfully accused and continually harassed, I am haunted by the memories of past even as I am barraged with the painful experiences of the present.

**Seisui: **Serenity's sparkling exterior is slowly reveals it's inner darkness, and Yamiko fights with no knowledge of who she is really fighting with. Usako, meanwhile, is beginning to become lost without the guidance of her mother and with no knowledge of the past we came from...

Next time on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Purification"_

Evil returns to those who create it.


	3. Episode Three: The Purification

"Fubuki!" Her mother cried from the bottom of the stairs, her voice teeming with impatience. "Fubuki, come on! It's time to go to church."

Fubuki scowled as she slipped on her huge black trench coat. She adjusted the collar--trimmed with bright golden arrows--into place as she tromped into her disgustingly sparkling, bacteria-free hallway. She stood at the top of the stairs, looking defiantly down at her mother.

"Fubuki! You know better than to wear that thing to church. Besides, if it means so much to you, you should keep it in good condition."

"Dad gave it to me because he knew I liked to wear it," Fubuki replied in vexation, "So I'm going to wear it."

"It's close to summer, Fubuki! You have no excuse."

"I'm going to wear it. And if you'd rather I didn't take it to church, feel free to go without me."

Her mother, who wore a conservative gray dress, looked toward her warningly. But Fubuki knew she had already won this battle.

"Fine. Wear your father's coat to church. Maybe his spirit will forgive you for all of your sins," she hissed in an insulting tone as she opened the front door and motioned for Fubuki to follow. "Though I'm sure wherever he is, he's more worried about his own."

Fubuki narrowed her eyes and spat on her mother's expensive carpet. Her mother glared warningly back.

"Come on, Fubuki. Or I'll tell your nana to forget about making you dinner."

"I can make dinner better myself, anyway," Fubuki snapped.

"I'll make sure to mention locking the kitchen, too."

Fubuki sneered and walked down the long staircase, glaring at her mother as she passed her and heading toward their limousine. Fubuki hated going to church--in part because that was the time of the week she was forced to endure her mother, who, for almost as long as Fubuki could remember, was obsessed with redeeming their sins every Sunday at the Church of Serenity.

Fubuki got in the car and looked at the floor. She tried to remember something good that had happened, so she could pretend that she wasn't with her mother and that she wasn't going to church. Dammit all.

She couldn't remember anything.

* * *

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Three:

"The Purification"

* * *

Seisui couldn't help but scowl as she walked down the sidewalk toward school. Last week had been a wonderful reminder as to just how much and why she hated Sailor Moon. If only they hadn't been so outnumbered...

"BOO!"

Seisui jumped and turned around. Tokimo waved cheerfully to her, holding up her purple backpack and swinging it back and forth.

"Tokimo! Stop that already!" Kouken's frustrated voice shouted as the bag squirmed and disfigured from his vain struggle to escape.

"Oh...hello," Seisui said timidly, smiling at Tokimo. "I thought you might be Usako. But...isn't it a bad idea to be hanging out around me? Aren't we pretending that you hate me?"

Tokimo grinned. "That's okay," She reassured Seisui, "Usako's almost a mile behind us--I should know, I sprinted ahead of her. She won't catch up to us until we're in class."

"Well... if you're sure..." Seisui replied uneasily. Trusting the information of Tokimo, she surmised, had the potential to be deadly.

"Of course I'm sure! I'm never wrong!" She grinned. Kouken laughed, meriting more violent swinging on the part of Tokimo.

"Was there something you wanted...?" Seisui asked Tokimo, who was putting the purple backpack on and ignoring Kouken's complaints of mistreatment.

"To talk to you? I barely know you, Seisui, but we're going to be working together an awful lot. Plus, you seem cool. Unlike Yamiko..." she said icily.

"Uhh... right," Seisui replied.

"Anyway, Seisui... I'll go over to your house after you're finished doing whatever with Usako, and we can hang out. I mean, just because you're pretending to like Usako doesn't mean that we can't hang out. Or maybe you can come to my house. I have a basement full of comic books, video games and cool movies--plus my dad just bought a ping-pong table!"

"Are you sure you want me to come over to you house? I mean... I know we're both senshi, but that doesn't mean we have to be friends or anything."

Tokimo looked a little disappointed. "We're not friends? You don't wanna come over?"

Seisui looked unhappy and shook her head violently. "I'm really sorry! That's not what I meant! I just...well, I wouldn't think you'd want me to come over...it wouldn't exactly make you look good if people knew you were hanging out with me, and a lot of people say I can get on their nerves sometimes..."

"No way! If anyone gets on my nerves, it'll be Yamiko, not you. You're cool, Seisui. And I wouldn't let what other losers think keep me from hanging out with someone cool." Tokimo patted Seisui encouragingly on the back. "So now that we've settled that, let's figure out our plans for later today."

"Don't we have more important things to talk about than hanging out after school?" Kouken asked, annoyed.

"Hey, I know!" Tokimo shouted enthusiastically. "We could play ping-pong, and use Kouken as the ball!"

Seisui smiled weakly. "Wouldn't he make a better racket?" She suggested quietly. Tokimo snickered in amusement as a low growl could be heard from Tokimo's backpack. "Sorry, Kouken..." Seisui apologized quickly, "I was kidding."

"Jeez, you say sorry too much, Seisui."

"Tokimo! Shut up!" Kouken hissed. "We need to think of a new plan. First off, there's still more Moon Senshi hanging around. I really need to find them, because at this rate, we'll never win."

"Maybe we should purposely stop finding them, so they'll stop turning on us," Tokimo suggested.

"Be quiet, Tokimo. While I'm doing that, though... Seisui, you need to think of another plan. Your last one was good, but not perfect. We need to get Usako somewhere completely isolated and alone."

"Regrettably, that will be very, very difficult," Seisui replied. "Usako and Hiroshi stick to each other like glue...and the Sailor Quartet consider looking after Pinkmoon their sacred duty. Sadly, they fulfill that duty very effectively, and they'll be even more on guard now that we've already cornered Usako once. At this point, it's unlikely that they'll have the sense of security I would require them to have for them to feel that Usako would be safe if I separated them from her--at least for any considerable length of time."

"There must be something, though..." Kouken asked hopefully. Seisui shook her head.

"I don't know where Usako will be or what she will be doing at any given moment," Seisui explained, "so it's hard for me to make up a plan. I'll just have to play along and see what I can do. If I think of something, I'll contact you on the communicator."

Kouken sighed. "I suppose you're right...Well, Tokimo, we better get going." Tokimo nodded enthusiastically. Seisui tried to hide her disappointment with a weak smile; Tokimo, of course, could see right through her. Tokimo smiled and waved good-bye to Seisui.

"Don't worry; I'll meet you at your house, Seisui. Try to put up with Bunny Girl for now."

* * *

It wasn't long after Tokimo had left Seisui that Kouken started squirming and kicking Tokimo violently from where he rested in her backpack. Sighing, Tokimo opened up the purple drawstring top and looked inside.

"I don't have any cucumbers in my lunch, okay? Stop trying to steal them!" she said in frustration.

"No, it's not that... although that is disappointing," Kouken mused. "But I want you to look up ahead of you. Who do you see?"

Tokimo glanced in front of her; there were several groups of girls ahead, including a girl with strangely bleached hair. There was a boy walking next to her with spiky brown hair; they seemed deep in conversation.

"I see a couple of people who really need to see a hairdresser," Tokimo replied.

Kouken peeked out of the top of the purple backpack; he immediately noticed the people who Tokimo had mentioned. He dropped his head back down into the dark and stuffy bag.

"That girl is a Sailor Senshi. I need to talk to her."

Tokimo looked at her backpack, then back towards the strange looking girl; a distinctly unexcited expression crossed her face. She very, very sincerely hoped that this girl wouldn't turn out to be like Yamiko and Mr. Grumpy Dump; anyway, there was only one way to find out. Tokimo ran up to the strange looking girl and tapped her on the shoulder.

The girl broke off her conversation with the young man and turned to look toward Tokimo, raising her dark brown eyebrows in surprise.

"Who are you?" She asked caustically. Tokimo frowned and cursed her bad luck.

"My name is Tokimo Joshi," she answered as cheerfully as possible. "Mind if I have a word alone with you for a second?"

The girl looked toward the boy, and the boy looked at Tokimo.

"Why, is this something about me? Or are you picking a fight with Fubuki?"

Well, now Tokimo knew the girl's name, at least.

"No... neither, actually. There's something I need to tell her about, and it's kinda...personal," Tokimo explained hastily. "It's nothing bad."

"There's nothing you can tell me that you can't tell Jirou." Fubuki said defiantly. "He's the only one I trust, but I trust him completely."

Tokimo shrugged and pulled Kouken out of her drawstring backpack.

Fubuki looked critically at Kouken. "What exactly is this all about, and why are you showing me this weasel?"

A low growling noise escaped from Kouken's snout, and he bared his teeth slightly.

"Uh, Fubuki, maybe you shouldn't--" Tokimo began nervously.

"I am not a weasel!" Kouken interrupted indignantly. "I am a ferret, thank you very much! Not a hot dog, and not a weasel! A weasel is an entirely different, if related, kind of mammal!"

Fubuki backed up slightly, her eyes widening in surprise. Jirou shook his head. "Man, I didn't think I had any fuzz this morning..."

"Kouken, why don't you explain the situation to them?" Tokimo suggested. Kouken hissed and shook his head; then he dove back into Tokimo's backpack and came back out with an intricate brooch of black and green. Accompanying the brooch was a matching communicator.

"Fubuki, you're a Sailor Senshi. A Moon Senshi, to be precise." Kouken informed her matter-of-factly.

"Jirou, I don't think it's fuzz. Unless we're having shared hallucinations..." Fubuki said dazedly.

"I have to admit, this is a pretty funky spin, if we are."

"No no no no no!" Tokimo said violently, shaking her head. "No drugs! This is real! You really are a Sailor Senshi. Here, take it." Tokimo grabbed the shiny locket and the communicator from Kouken, grabbed Fubuki's hand and placed the locket and communicator firmly into it. "If you don't believe me, just try transforming."

Fubuki stuffed the communicator inside of her pocket; then she paused and held the locket up to the sun.

"Are you seeing this too, Jirou?" Fubuki asked him, holding it in front of him. Jirou smirked.

"I never thought you, of all people, would ever be seen in a girlie sailor uniform. Not outside of school, anyway."

"My thoughts exactly," Fubuki replied in annoyance. Then she threw the locket up into the air. Tokimo watched it spin in midair a couple moments before Fubuki caught it again and stuffed it in her black leather bag. Then she looked back at Tokimo and Kouken.

"It's real nice of you all to give me this, but I'm not interested in becoming a Sailor Senshi. If I change my mind, though, I'll make sure to give you a call." She smirked.

"You're not being given a choice," Kouken said firmly. "Sailor Pinkmoon needs to die, or this planet will fill with turmoil."

"What did you say?" Jirou asked in surprise. "Did I hear you right?"

"You did. We have to kill Sailor Pinkmoon so Queen Diana won't be reincarnated," Kouken replied.

Fubuki paused, raising an incredulous eyebrow. "What the hell are you going on about?" She finally asked.

Kouken sighed and proceeded to explain the whole story. By the time he actually finished and added in the existence of two other Moon Senshi, they were inside of the school and walking with Fubuki toward her class.

"So basically you're telling me that I should put on that ridiculous costume and kill the princess so history won't be repeated or whatever."

Tokimo nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, that's exactly what we're telling you!"

Fubuki rolled her eyes and looked toward Jirou for a second opinion. He just shrugged.

"I've gotta go to class, Buki. If I miss another day, I have to repeat. Anyway, it's none of my business if you want to join her and 'accept your destiny' or whatever. Have fun." Jirou waved casually and walked into the nearest classroom. Both Fubuki and Tokimo watched him leave; then Tokimo turned back to Fubuki.

"Anyway, Seisui is going undercover for us, so if she gets Usako cornered, she'll call us to the scene and we can finish this once and for all!" Tokimo grinned. Fubuki looked doubtfully at Tokimo and Kouken.

"I'm not particularly thrilled about the prospect of being a Sailor Senshi. Especially not as far as clothing is concerned."

Tokimo looked at Fubuki's uniform; she wore her skirt as short as they issued it, and Tokimo thought Fubuki might have even shortened it a little herself--though she could hardly imagine Fubuki being good with a pair of scissors and a needle. The sleeves were also gone, a modification Tokimo was pretty sure wasn't allowed even in their school's liberal dress-code policy. Even under the Queen's 'anything-goes' reign, some things didn't fly in a public school.

"It's not so far off from what you're wearing right now, and it's probably in much darker colors!" Tokimo said cheerfully, attempting to remedy Fubuki's dislike. Fubuki sighed.

"I only wear this because I have to. Anyway, your motives are pretty good, and I do have a some issues with the queen...but I'm not really sure I want to get my ass in jail just yet."

"It's not like anyone will know who you are," Kouken assured her. "No one will see you well enough to be able to tell. Besides, picking you out of all the teenage girls in Tokyo is like finding a needle in a haystack."

Tokimo grinned proudly. "I'm an exception, though! I knew Usako was Sailor Pinkmoon the moment I saw her!"

"If what you say is true, and she goes to our school, don't you think she'd catch on? I mean...Tokimo seems pretty loud and obnoxious to me. How could you miss her?" Fubuki asked cynically.

Tokimo made a nasty face at Fubuki. In her mind, it was pretty clear who the obnoxious one was.

"If Usako can't even figure out that Seisui is Sailor Titan, I don't think you even have to consider that she'd think you were a Sailor Senshi," Kouken assured her.

"If you say so. Anyway... I'm not sure I want to join you, but I guess I could think about it. Like I said, I have somewhat of a beef with the Queen."

"There is no thinking--"

Tokimo shoved Kouken's head back into the bag and tied the top very, very tightly.

"Thanks, Fubuki. I'll let you know if we need your help."

"Oh yeah, one more thing," Fubuki added.

"Hm?"

"How do I know which Sailor Senshi I am? I mean, aren't you supposed to tell me?" Fubuki asked.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll figure it out, one way or another." Tokimo said cheerfully.

"One way or another? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Fubuki asked in annoyance. Tokimo, however, just shrugged and walked off. Her class was about to start.

* * *

Usako walked glumly down the crystal sidewalk, lost in her thoughts as her four friends quarreled about something inane. Hiroshi was looking up at her worriedly, but so far he hadn't worked up the courage to ask her what was wrong. Maybe he already knew. The words of Sailor Titan still echoed in her mind; her anger at the queen, her utter belief in people's right to say even the most offensive things...and then, the horrible way Seisui had cried over the fate of her father. As if Purification were like being hung. More than anything, that hovered in her mind. Usako feared that, despite whatever Seisui said on the outside, she harbored ill will toward her mother. After all...Serenity was the one that purified her father.

But no. Being purified wasn't a bad thing! Usako didn't even know why Seisui was ashamed of that. It wasn't like only criminals had been purified...

"Look, Usako. Seisui's up ahead. She looks pretty lonely," Hiroshi observed. He smiled weakly at her, a strangely soothing form of condolence. Usako, somewhat encouraged, nodded and ran up ahead.

"Where's she going?" Fuyuko asked. "Are we going to be late?"

"Actually, Fuyuko... if you four don't hurry up, you probably will be late," Hiroshi lied.

Fuyuko and the other three girls glanced at each other in alarm and rushed past Usako in a panic. Usako, meanwhile, was catching up to Seisui and panting slightly from the effort.

"Where's Hiroshi?" Seisui asked in mild surprise. Maybe her opportunity was going to come quicker than she thought.

"Oh, he's right behind me. I don't know what the girls were doing, but Hiroshi'll catch up soon enough."

"Oh, okay," Seisui said cheerfully, masking her disappointment.

"Seisui..." Usako trailed off.

Seisui paused for a moment; Usako had obviously been thinking about what she said last night. Probably a good idea, Seisui thought in annoyance; though she was surprised anyone in the royal family actually bothered to think about what they were doing. In any case, it didn't look like Usako was about to finish her sentence anytime soon, so Seisui supposed she would have to prompt her. "What is it, Usako?" She asked quietly.

"Last week, before that Senshi showed up...you were talking about councilor Han'i. And from the way you were talking... it sounded like Neo Queen Serenity had killed him. But that isn't right...she only purified him. If anything, he was lucky. Now, he doesn't feel any unnecessary anger or enmity...your father is a happier man now."

Seisui restrained herself from transforming and killing Usako right there and then. It was probably a lucky thing that Hiroshi came up to Usako at that moment; otherwise, her self-restraint might not have been strong enough.

"Is something wrong?" Hiroshi asked, looking toward Seisui. Seisui shook her head as a grave expression crossed her face.

"Tell me...Usako," Seisui said darkly. Usako looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"What is it?" she asked, inclining her head toward Seisui.

"Have you ever hated anyone?" she asked quietly.

"Well..." Usako paused, searching her thoughts for someone she had truly hated. Yes...there were times when she had hated. She had even hated her mother, once upon a time...memories of becoming Black Lady still sometimes lingered in her mind. There was the hatred with which she regarded the Death Phantom, who had sent her mother into a deep and seemingly endless slumber. And there were the times when she even hated herself, when she wished only to be a lady like her mother, and when she envied her mother because of that. "I suppose you could say I have hated someone before," she said a little guiltily.

"Tell me...what would have happened, Usako, if all of those times, you had no hatred? What would you be like today?" Seisui asked.

Usako stopped, a look of confusion spreading across her face. Hiroshi looked at her, at a loss for what to say or how to console her; Seisui, on the other hand, walked two more steps ahead and stopped, her back turned away from Usako.

"Well?" Seisui asked. "Well, what would have happened?" She was having trouble hiding the bitterness from her voice. It hovered momentarily in her voice, and quickly hovered out; Seisui was fighting off tears.

"I...I don't know." Usako admitted. Seisui shook her head and let a couple tears fall down her cheek, which she promptly wiped away.

Usako had the sinking feeling that something really horrible had happened--that her mother had done something she might come to regret for the rest of her life. But her mother had told her that purification was something that was good, something that was helpful, and in her heart, Usako wanted to believe that. Her conflicting feelings were tearing her apart--but ultimately, her loyalty to the royal household told her that she had to change Seisui's mind.

"Seisui, I think there's something that you should know," Usako said decisively. Even if it was a huge risk to tell Seisui, if they were going to be true friends, Usako had to trust her completely. Hiroshi looked toward Usako in surprise.

"Usako... you can't be thinking of--"

"Seisui, I'm the Crown Princess--Usagi Lady Serenity. I...I want you to come with me after school. I want you to come to the Crystal Palace, okay? I don't know if you ever came when your father was councilor...but...I think you should see what the royal house is really like. I think you have the wrong idea about the royal family."

Seisui paused again. This, she did not expect. Should she take up Usako's offer? The chances of getting Usako alone in her own house were next to nothing, but there was a small hope of it happening. Even if it did happen, there was no way she could get Tokimo or whoever else Tokimo had found to come in and help her.

And then there was the Queen. If she could get away from Usako long enough to find the Queen...

"U-Usako?" Seisui asked shyly.

"Yes?" she answered.

"I'd be glad to go with you to Crystal Palace." Seisui turned around and smiled sincerely, grateful for the invitation.

* * *

"Hey...Usagi."

Usagi--or Neo Queen Serenity, as she was usually known--was happily brushing her hair in front of her elaborate, marble vanity and admiring the new music box Mamoru had given her on his last trip to Germany. Even as the golden brush ran through her elegant white hair, the lonely melody of "Greensleeves" drifted out of her door. She looked up from her new gift and into the mirror, recognizing Minako's head peering nervously around the edge of her door.

"Yes, Mina?" she asked cheerfully. Usually when Minako came around to her room, it was either to exclaim about how wonderful her new boyfriend was or to denounce the one she had recently broken up with. 1,034 boyfriends was pretty impressive for anyone, but Usagi supposed that was only natural for the Senshi of Venus.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," she said, walking inside of Usagi's room and closing the door behind her.

"What did he do this time?" Usagi asked. She had to admit--she loved hearing the dirt about Minako's latest flame.

"Huh?" Minako paused, looking perplexed. "Oh...no, it's not my boyfriend. We're getting along just fine," she told Usagi, holding up a hand and waving it casually to dismiss the topic. "No, this is about a weird rumor I've been hearing on the streets."

Usagi turned the chair in front of her vanity around and inclined her head forward in curiosity. "A weird rumor?"

"Yeah. About Chibi-Usa."

Usagi leaned forward in fearful suspense.

"About Chibi-Usa? Things are getting along all right with her and Helios, right? Public school isn't too difficult, is it? I knew it was a bad idea to send her to Public School--"

"Not exactly, Usagi," Minako interrupted. "I've been hearing murmurs in the Goban district about...well, about a new group of Sailor Senshi. Rebel Sailor Senshi...almost like the Black Moon Family, you know? They're fighting against Sailor Pinkmoon."

Usagi looked shocked.

"No...No way. That can't be right...I mean, those are just rumors, right? If something like that were to happen, Chibi-Usa would tell us. She knows she couldn't handle something that huge on her own."

Minako nodded and looked relieved. "Yeah...that's what I thought, too. I just thought you should know. I mean...maybe you should counter the rumors, or something. If people keep spreading weird tales like that, it'll give you a heart attack."

"What?!" Usagi retorted, an annoyed look crossing her face. "I'm not that sensitive. It will not--"

"Anyway, I gotta go Usagi. You know, guys to meet, dates to fulfill...bye bye!" Minako said hastily as she walked out of Usagi's room and slammed the door behind her. Usagi turned back toward her vanity, a frustrated look still clearly visible on her face.

"Grrr. I'm not that sensitive," she said bitterly, continuing to brush her hair and regaining her composure. "Not enough get a heart attack, at least! After all, I am the queen of Crystal Tokyo. I've become responsible enough to handle these sorts of situations."

* * *

When Tokimo walked into her English class, her eyes met an unpleasant sight. From where she was standing, Yamiko was right in front of her, hunched over another sketchbook and obviously brooding over something. If Yamiko hadn't been in such a hurry to go against the rest of the Moon Senshi, Tokimo might have tried to cheer her up. But then, Yamiko never said anything nice about her efforts anyway.

Tokimo made sure to give her a dirty look when she walked past her desk; Yamiko looked flustered as she glanced up at Tokimo. Tokimo's look of indignation didn't really surprise her--Tokimo had an awfully convenient way of categorizing things arbitrarily into good or bad as it suited her.

Even if she knew that Tokimo was wrong, however, Yamiko wasn't sure what was right. After all...Lady Serenity and Helios, innocent as they were, were going to give rise to a reign of terror. The only solution that sacrificed no one's life--at least, the only one she could see--was to convince Usako that she absolutely must not have children. She would just have to convince her somehow--during lunch, she decided. Yamiko really, really didn't want to go up to someone and say something like that out of the blue...but she couldn't do nothing, and her choices were limited. At least if she did it today, she could get this over with as quickly as humanly possible.

* * *

Well, Yamiko thought, at least it was a nice day. The sunny school yard looked very inviting to everyone nearby; Usako and her friends were seated in their usual spot. Yamiko could feel her reluctant legs frozen in place as she experimented with the idea of telling Usako while she was transformed, or better yet, doing nothing at all. Maybe the best solution was just staying out of this. But then...the Crimson Eagle did seem intent on the idea of working together. Not that Yamiko really cared about what he thought or anything...but it did seem kind of rude to just run off on him. And purely for practicality's sake, Yamiko didn't want to make any more enemies.

So she forced her her legs to move over to where Usako was situated--however, to Yamiko's surprise, sitting amongst Usako's cluster was none other than Seisui. Yamiko stood in front of them for a second, her eyes wide in shock and dismay. What was she doing here, of all people? Had Seisui turned on Tokimo, too? No...that wasn't possible. Not after how fervently she had denounced Sailor Moon in their last fight. Yamiko opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"Is something wrong, miss?" Natsuko asked courteously.

Hiroshi looked over toward Seisui. "Isn't that the girl that was with Tokimo the other day...Yamiko, was it?"

Seisui nodded gravely. Hiroshi looked at Yamiko; he paused for a second and then turned back toward Seisui. "Was she harassing you, too? Not to jump to conclusions, but...she was with Tokimo."

Seisui flushed intensely. She glanced up at Yamiko, who was looking at her suspiciously--then she turned away. She hadn't forseen this outcome of her deception; Yamiko probably surmised that she was trying to trick Sailor Pinkmoon, and if she could get Usako and Hiroshi to believe her, she had the potential to ruin Seisui's plot entirely.

"Errr...she's..." Seisui stuttered. She had to chose her words carefully; Lying in this situation could be a very, very bad thing. If she did lie, it would only prove Yamiko's worst suppositions as well as potentially giving Yamiko an opening to prove Seisui's deception. On the other hand, if she did lie and say that Yamiko was a villain--which wasn't entirely untrue, in Seisui's opinion--it would encourage Usako and Hiroshi to distrust any information that Yamiko gave them to make Seisui look like a liar. Hiroshi looked up at Yamiko with an accusatory expression; Usako stood up and walked towards her.

"Is there something you wanted...Yamiko, is it?" she asked warily.

"Well..." Yamiko became flustered; she continued to stare down at Seisui. What was she up to, anyway? Was she so desperate to kill Sailor Pinkmoon that she was willing to resort to trickery? Yamiko really was better off without Seisui and Tokimo, if these were the kind of tactics they used.

"Well...?" Usako repeated.

"There was...something...I was going to say. I..." Yamiko turned away and looked toward the ground. "Maybe...some other time. You look busy."

"Come to pick up your slave, is that it, Yamiko?" Akiko asked Yamiko in an accusatory tone. "Too late. Seisui's not coming back to you losers."

"I didn't do anything to Seisui." Yamiko replied, her voice quavering.

"That's not what she told us," Helios replied, skeptical. Yamiko looked angrily down at Seisui; Seisui blushed more and put her head down, intensely self-conscious. It didn't matter what Yamiko thought--what she was doing was right. Anyone who disagreed would only have to meet her father.

"Oh?" Yamiko asked. "What did Seisui tell you, anyway?"

"That you and Tokimo treated her like garbage just because of her father. Just because he did wrong things, you know, it doesn't mean that Seisui does, too!" Usako replied.

Yamiko looked at Seisui, who obscured her eyes by holding her hand in front of her face like a shield or visor. What had Seisui told them? "Her father?" Yamiko asked in confusion.

"Yeah, you know..." Usako snapped, "Councilor Han'i? Or is your memory selective?"

Yamiko backed up. Seisui's father...so that was the reason Seisui hated Sailor Moon...

_"There may be reasons you aren't aware of, Yamiko... Because you never hear about them."_

_"Such as...?" Yamiko raised an eyebrow._

_"The King and Queen... punish those who oppose them."_

"Seisui...your father was..." Yamiko began.

Seisui brushed her hand away from her forehead; her eyes were watery, and it looked like a tear was on the verge of trickling down her cheek. "Yamiko, please...I don't need this right now," she said; her voice was wavering, and she sounded unhappy and tired. She looked up at Yamiko; Yamiko could tell by looking at her that she did not want Yamiko to press this issue.

Yamiko paused for a moment, looked down at Seisui's emotion-torn face, and turned around to eat her lunch in the other corner of the yard.

Yamiko was beginning to realize that even if Tokimo's motives were simple, Seisui's, clearly, were not; it may have been a grave mistake on Yamiko's part to underestimate the strength of Seisui's convictions. Yamiko pulled out her bottle of anti-depressants and shoved a couple of pills in her mouth. She was intensely weary of this whole affair.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Haruko asked. Usako's face was still fixed in anger.

"What does it look like it was about?" Natsuko replied in annoyance. "Yamiko was one of Seisui's old 'friends.' You know...the ones that used her."

"I realize that," Haruko began, "but I was surprised that--"

"Shut up, you two," Akiko whispered, jabbing Natsuko in the ribs and looking toward Seisui. She had stopped eating the lunch Usako was sharing with her; she looked quiet and subdued. Obviously, a talk about Seisui's inner workings would have to wait until they got back home.

"You okay, Seisui?" Hiroshi asked timidly. Seisui wiped away the tears beading in her eyes and breathed deeply for a moment before continuing.

"Yeah," Seisui replied, taking another deep breath before continuing. "I'm fine. Me and Yamiko just...well, we got into a fight before I started hanging out with you two." Seisui couldn't help noticing the irony that she was more or less telling Usako the truth.

"What kind of a fight?" Usako asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Seisui replied tersely.

"Maybe later," Hiroshi amended, noticing that Seisui was beginning to lose her composure again. "We'll talk about it when we get to the Palace, okay?"

Haruko, Natsuko, Fuyuko and Akiko all abruptly turned toward Usako in alarm.

"You're bringing her to the palace?" Akiko said sharply.

Fuyuko grinned in excitement. "This is gonna be fun! I bet Seisui's never been in a castle before!"

"Sure she has," Haruko corrected.

The other three Asteroids looked at Haruko in confusion. "What do you mean?" Natsuko asked.

"You heard what Usako said. If Seisui's dad was Councilor Han'i, she probably has been in the castle before."

"Now that you mention it..." Natsuko reflected, remembering Usako's outburst at Yamiko.

"You're bringing her to the castle?" Akiko said angrily, looking at Usako. "What are you thinking, Princess? She's a complete stranger!"

"No she isn't," Haruko responded scathingly. "She's a Han'i. And we know aaaallllll about the Han'i family, right?"

"Haruko!" Usako shouted, shocked at her friend's cruelty. "Are you all the same as Yamiko? Are you going to judge Seisui on her father's sins?"

Hiroshi looked accusingly toward them. "Usako is right. Seisui isn't a stranger--she's a friend of Usako's, and that means she's a friend of the entire Royal Family. Besides...Usako is your leader. You should trust her judgment."

Seisui frowned. Thankfully, her presence was being ignored, which meant she could cry freely. She knew that what the Asteroid Senshi thought hardly mattered--if anything, their ridicule was a compliment--but their derision still stung her. She cursed her sensitivity.

The Asteroids were dissuaded from continuing their argument against Usako by what had, apparently, a turned into a test of loyalty--something Seisui was sure that the four girls were not eager to fail. After all, the Royal Family had proved itself of being incapable of taking criticism in the past.

Maybe they were afraid that if they continued to voice their dissent, they would be purified, Seisui thought dryly as she wiped away her tears.

* * *

Fubuki walked nonchalantly into the lunch yard, looking down at her communicator half interestedly. Well, it made a pretty handy watch, if nothing else. Jirou was supposed to meet her here right after the lunch bell, but knowing Jirou, he'd be at least 10 minutes late. After all, he liked to kill plenty of time talking to his guy friends.

"Hey, Buki," Tokimo said cheerfully. "Want to eat lunch together?"

"My name's Fubuki," she replied irritably, "And right now, I'm waiting for someone."

"Jirou, right? Well, you can eat with me while you're waiting." Tokimo suggested. Fubuki looked skeptically down at her; the purple bunnies on her lunch box were not a good sign of an interesting conversation partner, but she supposed it was a little better than sitting here alone.

"Okay, whatever," she agreed apathetically. Tokimo sat down at a nearby picnic table and pulled out her simple lunch of sandwiches and pickled plums in rice balls. Fubuki, on the other hand, opened a plain metal lunch box to reveal an elaborate meal of sushi, fried shrimp, rice balls with tuna, and fruit.

"Wow!" Tokimo exclaimed in admiration. "That's amazing! Your mom's a great cook!"

Fubuki laughed bitterly.

"My mother couldn't tell a steak from a chicken breast," she corrected her. "My nana cooked this meal."

"You have a nanny?" Tokimo responded in surprise, taking a bite out of one of her rice balls.

"Yeah," Fubuki replied bitterly, "unfortunately, I do. My mother keeps her around, you know...maybe she figures I need a maternal figure, but she's too god-damned lazy to do it herself."

Tokimo raised an eyebrow. "If she doesn't take care of you, what does she do all day?" she asked in curiosity.

"Supposedly, she works. She's some big office exec, although I suspect that all she does is sit around and look important seventeen hours a day, six days a week."

Tokimo coughed up some of her rice.

"Seventeen hours! That's insane! My dad only works six!"

"Maybe, but all the better for me," Fubuki said with a sigh. "I hate that bitch."

Tokimo looked nervously toward Fubuki. Normally, Tokimo's curiosity would have gotten the best of her tact...but this time she didn't want to know.

"Look, there's Jirou," Fubuki observed as Jirou walked into the lunch yard. "I've gotta lose this playground. See you around, Tokimo. I hope all this Senshi stuff is keeping you thoroughly entertained." With that, Fubuki picked up her schoolbag and left, putting her hand in Jirou's as they walked off campus and down the street. Tokimo watched them go with mild interest.

Then Tokimo turned to observe Usako, Seisui and her posse; you never knew when the skills of Tokimo Joshi, mastah spy, might be necessary. Things seemed pretty peaceful at the moment; Seisui was blending in quite nicely.

Until Yamiko showed up, of course. That was when things got interesting. Tokimo couldn't hear the conversation, but by the time Yamiko left, Seisui was in tears. That was all Tokimo needed to know.

However fast it took anti-depressants to kick in, Yamiko thought, it wasn't fast enough. Seisui's face was still lingering in her mind, and Tokimo's disdainful expression from earlier that day didn't make her feel any better. Lost in her own thoughts, she nearly jumped a mile high when a small, strong hand wrapped itself tightly around her shoulder. Yamiko turned her head around in alarm and could feel her knees getting weak. It was Tokimo; but she didn't look like any Tokimo Yamiko had ever seen. From the expression on her face, Yamiko almost felt in fear of her life, or, at least, in fear of her consciousness. Yamiko tried to pull away from Tokimo's powerful grip; but the same ability Tokimo had to keep her from running away previously was just as effective now.

"I need to talk to you for a second," Tokimo said angrily, turning the rest of Yamiko's body around violently and clamping her hands squarely on each of her two shoulders. Yamiko shrank downwards slightly; an easy thing to do, considering Tokimo's short height.

"What did you do to Seisui?" Tokimo said in an accusatory tone. "What did you do to make her cry?"

"I didn't do anything!" Yamiko retorted. "I wasn't even there to talk to her."

"Then why were you there, huh? Seems like things would work out awfully convenient for you if Sailor Pinkmoon knew the truth about Seisui."

"What do you think I get out of all of this, anyway? Just because I don't want to brutally murder the princess doesn't make me some kind of a traitor!"

"Seems like you're making excuses to me. You don't want to brutally murder the princess, yeah. You just want to brutally murder everyone else when her daughter goes psycho," Tokimo replied in an insulting tone.

"You people are all nuts! Has it ever occurred to you that the Princess could just not have a kid? Is that so hard for your small brain to comprehend, Tokimo?"

Tokimo paused anxiously.

"Don't get all self-assured, Yamiko," Kouken responded from Tokimo's purple bag. "I doubt that would work. Knowing Usako, she'd probably believe that she could raise the evil out of her."

"Well, what if she could?" Yamiko replied defensively.

"Oh, right. I'm sure that if Chaos were reincarnated in your womb, you could just find the good in it and bring it out, right?" Kouken retorted sarcastically.

"Chaos and Diana are completely different!" Yamiko snapped in response.

"They're both evil, and they're both going to kill us all--that's close enough for me," Tokimo replied. "And anyway, you're changing the subject. Why did you make Seisui cry?"

"I didn't make Seisui cry. She cried on her own. How am I supposed to know what sets Seisui off? It seems like everything does, anyway. Last night, she would start crying at every other sentence! And then she was crying when we met during lunch. Is there ever a time Seisui isn't crying?"

Tokimo took an hand off Yamiko's shoulder in order to punch her squarely in the stomach. Yamiko recoiled in pain, gagging slightly from the impact; before she had the time to recover and dash off, Tokimo replaced her other hand on Yamiko's shoulder.

"You may not be crying all the time, but your mopey attitude is a million times worse than Seisui's! Seisui may cry easily, but at least _she's _a nice person!"

The anti-depressants wouldn't have helped now, anyway. Yamiko was completely unable to keep tears from flowing down her face. "Let go of me!" she hissed.

"Not until you tell me what you did!" Tokimo snapped.

"You never told me Seisui's father was Councilor Han'i!" Yamiko told Tokimo.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, Usako apparently thought I knew. Considering that she seemed to think it was why I supposedly hated Seisui! Which isn't even true!" Yamiko explained irritably. Tokimo's grip loosened and Yamiko pulled herself free. She immediately grabbed her black handkerchief from her uniform pocket and wiped away her tears in embarrassment. "Or, at least, it wasn't true until last night!"

Yamiko turned away and ran off before Tokimo had a chance to respond. She didn't care if there was another half-hour before lunch ended; she wanted to get out of the lunch yard as soon as humanly possible.

* * *

"Hey, Jirou," Fubuki asked him as they walked down the street, "What took you so long, anyway?"

"Just talking to the guys."

"About what?" She asked. "Something more interesting than me?"

"Something more interesting than you? I didn't know that was possible, Fubuki," Jirou replied somewhat sarcastically.

"Serenity. I'm your girlfriend, right? Is there some reason why I can't be seen around your guy friends?"

"Fubuki...trust me, you don't wanna hang out with those assholes," Jirou smirked. "You may not be smooth around the edges, but those guys are practically yazuka."

"Serenity," Fubuki responded indignantly. "I'm not afraid of any fuckin' yazuka."

"Yeah, well, let's just say that they haven't learned to keep their hands to themselves. You don't wanna hang with that horse shit."

"If they're horse shit, why do you want to hang around them?" Fubuki snapped.

Jirou just shrugged and swung his bag over his shoulder. "They sell good fuzz."

"Did you buy anything to eat?" Fubuki asked curiously.

"Heh. You know my family... getting lunch money is an event."

"Well, you can have what's left of my lunch. It's not like eating it gives me any pleasure," Fubuki said, handing him her lunch box. Jirou immediately pushed it back toward her.

"I don't like your mom any more than you do. Less, even. So I don't want your food."

"My mom didn't make it."

"Who cares? It came out of your mom's fridge."

"Just because my mom's a bitch doesn't mean her refrigerator's contaminated," Fubuki spat.

"As far as I'm concerned it is. Everything your mother and her stupid exec job buys is like poison to me."

"So now I'm eating poison?" Fubuki asked defensively.

"Serenity! Whatever happened to hating your mother? You were saying all sorts of just lovely things about her just a minute ago, and now you're defending her. Why do you do that?"

"I'm just saying, I don't eat poison!" Fubuki snapped. "This has nothing to do with my mother."

"Yeah, whatever," Jirou responded in annoyance, pulling out a cigarette pack and lighting one. He inhaled the smoke gratefully. Fubuki pulled out her pair of headphones and began listening to her newest static CD; the screaming strains of the chorus shrieked over the repetitive techno back-beat.

"Serenity, I stop talking to my friends for you, and you immediately put on your headphones."

"I thought you told me to shut up," she said morosely.

"I just wanted you to shut up about your mother."

"It's not like there's anything else to talk about in this shiny dump," Fubuki muttered.

"Going off on the queen again? I'm surprised you aren't more excited about all this senshi BS. After all, they're trying to get rid of Serenity, right?"

"I just don't want to wear the outfit, is all," Fubuki said with a sigh, stopping to lean against the wall. "I'd be happy to get rid of the queen."

"You know, just because some religious wackos start up some crazy church--"

"I know it wasn't Serenity that started up the church, Jirou. I'm not that stupid. But when I think of why the church exists, it pisses me off. Some ho comes in with a dress and a gem and she's the holy ruler of us all. What the fuck is up with that? The texts say that The Black Moon Family were agents of evil, corrupt because they thought long life and total happiness were sins. Well, I don't know if they're sins, but I think some death and despair would do all the spinny people around here some good."

"Complete happiness? Since when is anyone around here happy?" Jirou asked disdainfully.

"Well, the texts are old. Who knows? They just make me memorize them in Sunday school. Most people do seem like they're pretty happy. Not all people, though, I guess. That Seisui kid Tokimo mentioned... she didn't seem too happy, either."

"Hmph. Some kid and her demoted father...makes no difference to me. Looks like your texts are just full of bull shit...big surprise there. C'mon..." Jirou began, dropping his cigarette and stomping it out with his foot. "Give some of your lunch. The thought of food is starting to get to me."

Fubuki paused for a moment, slightly annoyed at Jirou's hypocrisy. Grimacing, she shoved her metal lunch box roughly into his chest, where Jirou grabbed it moments before it fell to the ground.

"What the fuck?" He asked in annoyance. Fubuki just shrugged and smirked slightly. She didn't have to explain herself.

* * *

Yamiko decided that the best place to avoid Tokimo would be the library; which, thankfully, did not include a Manga section. The place was more or less empty, given that it was lunchtime; Yamiko walked apathetically toward the cooking section and took out a dessert cookbook. She sat down at one of the large, six-chair tables situated around the library and read about how to make various different types of English pudding until she felt herself getting drowsy.

_Asteria could feel a cold wind. The upside-down spires of her ebony castle dripped blood from where they hung in the sky...She could hear the screams of her mother coming from the castle. She couldn't get inside--she couldn't reach the door. She turned around and looked out toward the dark forest, and Sayoko walked toward her, shaking her head sadly._

_"Yamiko...it's mom and dad--the--the train...it..."_

_Asteria turned around and became Yamiko, and she could see a train racing by...the squeal of track--sparks flew...A bomb...a bomb..._

Yamiko awoke with a start; there was a hand firmly planted on her shoulder. It couldn't be Tokimo, could it? Yamiko turned around, nervous, and sighed in relief when she saw Erik's looming figure above her.

"Hey... you okay?" He asked. "Have you had lunch yet? Break's over in 15 minutes."

"Yeah..." Yamiko said. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a really weird dream."

"Oh?" Erik said, sitting down next to her. "You look pale. Nightmare, eh?"

"Yeah..." Yamiko said uneasily. "But it seems silly now that I've woken up. You know... it's scary when you're there, but when you tell someone about it, it just seems funny," she lied.

Erik raised his left eyebrow skeptically. "Doesn't look like it seems funny to you," He observed.

Yamiko forced a smile. "I guess I'm still half in the dream," she half-heartedly explained, picking up the dessert book and closing it.

"Maybe something that happened beforehand...?" he asked. Yamiko jumped; his precision was a bit eerie.

"What makes you think that?" Yamiko replied somewhat irritably.

"I saw you walking to the library. You looked upset, all red in the face."

"I just had an embarrassing moment."

"Oh?" Erik asked.

"Yeah." Yamiko responded tersely.

"You know, if someone's harassing you, I can help you deal with them."

"You're a teacher, not a policeman. I can take care of myself."

"Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I'm cold-hearted," Erik explained. "You can't expect me to be entirely apathetic if someone is bullying you. Anyway, if you want to deal with your own problems by yourself, I can respect that. But don't expect me to help you the next time you want to bail out of class, if you're so dead-set on my not getting involved."

With that, he unceremoniously got up and walked away. There was something funny about that guy, Yamiko thought in annoyance. And she wasn't sure if it was something good or something bad. Anyway, she wasn't planning on finding out. She had had enough company for a very, very long time.

Yamiko placed her book back in the section where she found it and walked sluggishly to her next class, contemplating the meaning of her peculiar dream.

"Dad..." she murmured to herself as tears flowed freely down her face. "Mom..."

* * *

"Isn't it exciting?" Fuyuko exclaimed. "We're bringing Seisui to the Crystal Palace!"

"Yeah," Akiko added sarcastically, "real exciting. I'm just thrilled."

Usako, who was leading the group back home, turned around and looked depreciatingly toward Akiko; her crimson eyes narrowed somewhat eerily. Akiko winced slightly and took the cue to shut up.

"Since we're out of school, Seisui, I'll introduce you to the last member of our team," Usako said cheerfully, holding up her trademark bunny adorned bag. Seisui looked toward her, somewhat perplexed.

"In there...?" she asked skeptically.

Usako nodded; a small gray cat poked its head out of the bag, her fur slightly frazzled from sitting inside of it all day. Seisui suddenly felt foolish as she saw the tell-tale crescent moon symbol on the cat's head and realized who it must be.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Han'i," the cat said politely.

"Diana, is it?" Seisui said a bit nervously as Diana nodded her head. "Er--a pleasure to meet you, as well, Miss Diana."

"You don't have to be so polite to Diana," Natsuko told Seisui, "She doesn't deserve it, anyway."

"Natsuko!" Hiroshi scolded as Diana blushed. "Honestly..!"

"Well, no one calls her 'Miss Diana,' anyway. You can just call her Diana, Seisui," Natsuko explained. "And I was just joking, Hiroshi. You get way too uptight about etiquette."

"But still, Natsuk--"

"It's quite all right, Mr. Hiroshi," Diana said apologetically, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Diana is fine."

Seisui looked toward Usako; she seemed incredulous. "Yeah, I know it's kinda strange to have a cat talking to you," Usako said, responding to Seisui's look, "but you'll get used to it."

It wasn't the talking cat that Seisui could hardly believe. It was Diana's exacting dedication to politeness in her speech.

"When we get to the palace, I'll show you around," Usako explained, "At least to all the important places. After that you can have dinner with us and we can talk about...what we agreed to talk about."

"So what did you agree to talk about?" Haruko interjected. Hiroshi glanced toward Haruko warningly; maybe he could understand the Sailor Quartet's misgivings about Seisui, but their openly rude behavior...!

Usako continued to make various kinds of small and irrelevant conversation with Seisui, which Seisui tried to answer with shy enthusiasm. By the time they reached the Crystal Palace, Seisui was incredibly thankful; she hated talking to anyone extensively, especially someone she didn't know.

The Crystal Palace was even more impressive up close than when it loomed warningly in the distance. The tall crystal obelisks twinkled in the sunlight; whether their sparkle was inviting or threatening, Seisui thought, was up to personal interpretation. People moving around inside the castle could be made out as vague, shifting blurs; the facets inside of the palace made it impossible to see anything more of what was inside than that. There was a broad, paved road of crystal concrete which lead up to the front of the Palace. What puzzled Seisui, though, was the fact that there was apparently no door to get inside.

"Uhh... Usako?" Seisui asked somewhat nervously.

"Yeah?" she responded.

"How do we get in?"

"The door appears when we get close," Haruko explained.

"Really?" Seisui replied, trying to sound impressed. "Does it appear for just anyone? It seems like it would be awfully easy to get in that way..."

"No. Only members of the royal family," Haruko replied, sighing in exasperation.

"How does it know who's a member of the royal family?" Seisui continued. If she had to make an escape or call for help, knowing how to get in and out was a very large plus.

"The door knows who has or used to have a Sailor Crystal," Usako explained, joining in on Haruko's explanation. "That means that only Sailor Senshi, Endyminion, Helios and Neo Queen Serenity can get in or out. It's actually kind of a pain, because we have to keep letting servants in or out any time they leave or come back...a lot of them have the keys to the windows near the ground floor, though, and they often crawl out that way if we're busy. I guess they get sick of running to get us every time."

"The door disappears inside as well as outside?" Seisui asked with interest. Usako nodded and approached the palace; two huge, ornately carved double doors appeared and swung open as she approached. The group walked casually inside of the palace, which was far more impressive than Seisui's father could ever have dared to describe. The huge foyer branched off in several directions--there were hallways branching out on every side except for the side they had entered on. The hallways extended out in a circle around the base of the palace floor; the widest of these hallways lay directly in front of them. The only break in the many halls were two huge stairways that lead up from the foyer to countless layers of balconies; the balconies themselves were entrance ways to many more halls. Seisui stared in wonder, impressed and simultaneously bitter; what would Usako, the pretty princess of a huge palace, think of living in Seisui's pathetic hovel? Usako acted as if Seisui understood little; yet Usako herself was so mind-numbingly ignorant of how the poor fared in her own city.

Usako smiled courteously toward Seisui. "I hope you like my house okay," she said a bit sheepishly. "I think maybe it's a little too elaborate."

"Yeah..." Seisui said dully, "I can see why you might think that."

"Anyway, there's no way we'd have time to show you the whole place, but I'll show you the first floor, anyway."

"Is your room on the first floor...?" Seisui asked Usako.

"No, my room is on the top floor. All of the Senshi have rooms on the top floor."

"Neo Queen Serenity, too?"

"No," Haruko interjected, "her room is somewhere else."

"Really?" Seisui asked, forcing herself to sound only mildly curious. "Where's that...?"

Usako opened her mouth to say something, but Akiko jabbed her in the ribs. Hiroshi looked angrily toward Akiko.

"Somewhere else," Haruko repeated, returning Hiroshi's glare. "But we're not here to see the queen anyway, right? Besides, we'll see her at supper, won't we?"

Usako straightened up and looked toward Haruko angrily. "Seisui won't--"

"We'll have to get to know Seisui real well--right, Usako?" Natsuko said warningly. "You can show her more of the palace then."

If Seisui wasn't outrageously shy and nervous, she could have said something really nasty.

"Look, why don't you four get a head start on our homework? I probably won't have time, and there's no sense in all of us failing our homework, right...?" Usako suggested.

"But your highness--" Haruko began.

"Girls, please...Seisui has had enough bad experiences with the royal family. I don't think she needs you four adding to a lot of already bad memories. Please...take Usako's advice." Hiroshi glanced meaningfully at the Asteroids as he voiced his request. The four girls paused for a moment; then they exchanged uneasy glances between each other and left, talking amongst each other nervously as they made their way up the first flight of stairs.

"Please excuse them, Seisui," Hiroshi said apologetically.

"It's okay," Seisui replied, smiling weakly, "I'm used to it."

"I wish I had known about all of this sooner, Seisui...maybe we could have found a better outcome for your father."

Seisui paused for a moment. "Err... It's okay. Too late to think about it now, anyway."

Usako showed Seisui around the first floor quite extensively, which included a huge library, several offices, kitchens, and living rooms. There was also a strange, empty room with several tall tables scattered evenly on the floor. Seisui asked Usako what the room was for, but Usako only shook her head nervously and moved on. Eventually, they made their way to a set of huge double doors at the end of the wide center hallway. Usako hesitated and turned toward Seisui.

"This is the Control Room," She explained. "It's a huge computer, it has a lot of really important and top secret data in it. I'm sorry...I can't let you see it. It's not that I don't trust you...My dad doesn't even like it when I go in there."

"Your own father doesn't trust you to keep the things in this room a secret?" Seisui said, her voice mildly surprised. In reality, her mother had already told her Endymion was over-cautious; something she had heard, no doubt, from her father long ago.

"Well..." Usako hesitated and looked a bit uneasy.

"No, Seisui...but Endymion has to keep a certain image to the councilors and ambassadors who visit, and if he lets his daughter roam around somewhere like this, it will make a bad impression. Even though Endymion knows Usako would keep the things in here a secret, the people who visit the palace might mistakenly think that her father is trusting her with too much responsibility, considering that she's 'only' a teenaged girl."

"Isn't she over 900?" Seisui asked, trying to sound unsure.

"Both Usako and I exceed that age," Helios affirmed. "But many people judge too readily on outside appearances...I'm sure you can relate."

Seisui frowned and looked a bit uneasy.

"Hiroshi!" Usako scolded. "You made Seisui feel uncomfortable."

Hiroshi blushed and inclined his head toward Seisui. "I didn't mean--"

"It's okay," Seisui interrupted, trying to hide her annoyance. "I know what you meant. You didn't mean any harm."

Usako stood there for a moment, looking pensively at Seisui's face. Hiroshi turned and looked up at an elaborate crystal clock on the wall; its hand was approaching six o'clock.

"Look, Usako," Hiroshi observed, "it's almost six. We better head to the dining hall, right?"

"Shouldn't we change first...?" Usako asked.

"Seisui came here in her school clothes," Hiroshi explained, "I think it would make her feel awkward if we dressed up while she was still dressed so casually."

"That's all right. It doesn't matter what I look like," Seisui assured him.

"Don't worry about it, Seisui," Usako replied. "If it doesn't matter what you look like, it certainly shouldn't matter what we look like."

"If you're certain..." Seisui said nervously. Hiroshi nodded affirmatively toward her and then turned to Usako; she looked more than a little worried. Hiroshi couldn't blame her; after all, who knew what would happen when they introduced Seisui to the rest of the royal family?

"Come on, Usako..." Hiroshi said soothingly. He took her hand and smiled at her; Usako tried stubbornly to repress her own smile but failed miserably. Hiroshi lead Usako down the hall by the hand and motioned for Seisui to follow.

Well...now Seisui would finally meet the queen.

* * *

Supper, Seisui realized, was not something that anyone in the Crystal Palace cared to miss. The entire royal family was assembled. At the head of the table sat Neo Queen Serenity; King Endymion was quietly seated at its foot. Along each side of the table were the princesses of every planet--minus Pluto--and the four Asteroids. It was impossible, Seisui noted, to miss the irritated expressions on the Asteroid's faces. There were two empty seats next to the Queen; Usako walked past them and toward one of the many maids, who were bustling about and rushing to arrange all the food-laden silver trays on the elaborately chiseled marble table. The maid turned toward Usako in surprise; she looked toward Seisui, her expression dumbfounded.

"Can you pull a chair up for my friend here, please...?" Usako asked politely. The maid, still slack-jawed, responded by obediently pulling a chair toward the table. Usako then seated herself, followed by Hiroshi; Hiroshi motioned for Seisui to sit next to him. Pulling the chair out from the table, Seisui noticed that the chair seemed to be made of a substance that resembled fine porcelain; though the sheer impracticality of porcelain chairs seemed to rule out the possibility of anything more than a resemblance. Of course, the world was being run by Neo Queen Serenity...anything that lacked common sense could probably be attributed to the queen. Seisui sat delicately down in her chair.

After several minutes, during which the Queen sat very impatiently, all of the food was ready. Neo Queen Serenity immediately reached toward the nearest dish with great enthusiasm; however, she was very suddenly interrupted by a sharp glance from Endymion.

"Before we start eating," he began in a formal manner, "Perhaps Lady Serenity should introduce her friend."

Seisui blushed self-consciously.

"This is Seisui," Usako explained, "Seisui Han'i. She's a new friend that I met at school."

The Royal Family collectively paused for a moment, trying to recall why the name was so familiar; it slowly dawned on each of their faces, and they looked toward Usako in shock.

"Usagi Small Lady Serenity!" Haruka exclaimed in dismay. "Do you _know_ who this girl _is_?"

"My...this is an interesting turn of events," Michiru said, looking more lost and unsure than anything else.

"Perhaps Chibi-Usa-chan is unaware of this girl's heritage," Hotaru suggested. Makoto sneered at Seisui and held up a fist.

"If you're trying to trick Chibi-Usa, Han'i, I'll--"

"Everyone, settle down!" Endymion interjected. The Sailor Senshi collectively shut up and looked alternately at the King and Queen for guidance. The Queen looked visibly upset but said nothing. "Now... Chibi-Usa..."

"My name isn't Chibi-Usa," Usako interjected. "My name is either Usako, or Lady Serenity. I'm not a baby anymore. You know that, Daddy."

Endymion sighed and nodded. The other Senshi looked a little surprised; strange, since from Usako's reaction, Seisui guessed that the subject was not a new one.

"Very well...Lady Serenity. Tell me...what is the meaning of bringing a member of the Han'i family into the Palace?"

"Just because Seisui's father did something wrong, doesn't mean that Seisui is also at fault!" Usako began defensively. "I'm surprised everyone doesn't understand that. If we are representing the people of this planet, we must act with understanding and compassion!"

"I can understand your wanting to forgive his daughter, Lady, but bringing her in the palace like this is dangerous!" Haruka objected, turning toward Usako.

Seisui picked up the juice glass in front of her plate and began to finger it nervously. Whenever she was upset, keeping her hands busy always served to relax and distract her.

"Councilor Han'i left scars in this household, Usako," Michiru told her. "Bringing his daughter here was an invitation for strife."

"I agree with Usako," Ami objected, smiling weakly at Usako. "It's unfair to judge Seisui because of her father."

"Be that as it may, we don't know if we can trust her yet!" Makoto interjected. "Usako should have gotten to know her better outside of the Palace first. It can't have been more than a week--at most--since they've met!"

"What harm can she possibly do?" Minako asked in annoyance. "She's just a normal girl."

Seisui resisted the urge to smile.

"There are other ways to cause harm than with the power of the Sailor Crystal..." Rei reminded them. "Blackmail, for example."

"This girl couldn't be a day older than 14! What does she know about those kind of things?" Minako exclaimed.

"These things are learned from parent to child," Michiru explained. "She could have learned such trickery from her father. He was a skilled politician..."

"That is not possible," Hotaru dissented quietly. "Councilor Han'i was purified while Seisui was still very young--if my memory serves me."

Seisui dropped the glass she had been fingering squarely down on her plate; the impact was not enough to shatter it, but it did cause a large 'THUNK' to resound through the dining hall.

All eyes were on Seisui; she shrunk down nervously in her chair. Hiroshi looked warningly toward the other Senshi, and his glare lingered especially long on the Sailor Quartet, who, thankfully, had declined to comment during the argument.

"Regardless, Seisui Han'i is currently our guest," Endymion reminded them, breaking the deadly silence. "We will discuss this further some other time." Then he turned toward his wife, who was noticeably upset but had said nothing during the fight.

The food was served and dinner was eaten--but to compound Seisui's unease, nothing was said during the duration of the meal. And every time she looked up from her plate, someone was looking either distrustfully or sympathetically toward her.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Seisui," Usako apologized they walked down a long hallway toward one of the palace's many small sitting rooms. "I thought they might be upset, but I didn't think they would go so far as...well...it must have been very humiliating."

"It's okay," Seisui said, looking down at the granite floor and feeling very, very subdued. "I'm used to it."

"To be used to something as horrid as being ridiculed by most of Royal Family is indeed something," Hiroshi said sympathetically. "You must have been through some trying times, Seisui."

Seisui didn't respond.

"Here we are," Usako said, trying to sound cheerful as she motioned toward a small door of the same porcelain material as Seisui's chair. She opened the door and walked inside, motioning for Seisui and Hiroshi to follow; the room was small and comfortable, and paled in comparison to many of the grand living rooms and halls of the palace. There were three small couches, all perfectly matching, with a marble coffee table in the center. On top of the table was a silver tray with a pot of what Seisui guessed was hot chocolate, judging from the inclusion of a small silver bowl of marshmallows. Accompanying the cocoa were four small dishes of rice pudding.

"Please sit down, Seisui. We'll get this whole mess over with and never speak of it again, okay?" Usako said encouragingly. Seisui sat down on one of the four couches; the one farthest from Usako. Hiroshi picked up one of the bowls of rice pudding and offered it to Seisui, who politely nibbled on it despite disliking the texture of the dessert. Usako grabbed her own and scarfed it down before Hiroshi had even finished pouring all of the hot cocoa.

"I was thinking, Seisui," Usako began, "I don't think your father could be promoted back to councilor, no matter what. But he is on a register that keeps him from getting an important or high paying job--"

"You mean he's blacklisted," Seisui corrected.

"Well..." Usako looked a bit taken aback. "That's not exactly the same..."

Seisui shook her head. "I spoke out of turn. Please...continue."

"So...I thought maybe I could convince my mother to give him a public apology, and we could take him off the register. That way, your father could get a higher salary."

Seisui paused for a moment; Hiroshi handed her a cup of hot chocolate. Seisui gingerly took it from him and stared dazedly into the murky liquid. Usako sipped on her own quietly, waiting for Seisui to say something.

"Don't bother," Seisui replied quietly.

"Why not?" Hiroshi asked. "It could really help you, Seisui. Your father might be able to regain some respect, and people might not pick on you so often. Plus, you'd be in a much better financial situation."

"Can you unpurify him?" Seisui asked, looking up from her hot chocolate as her face filled with desperation. What was she saying? She knew that there was no such thing as 'unpurifying.' Once you're purified...

"Seisui...once we purify someone, they're purified forever." Usako said apologetically. "But that's not a bad thing, right? Purification isn't a punishment. It..." Usako stuttered, reminded of Seisui's words earlier that day.

_"Tell me...what would have happened, Usako, if all of those times, you had no hatred? What would you be like today?" _

"If it isn't a punishment, Usako, then why is it done to criminals?" Seisui asked.

"It isn't just done to criminals," Hiroshi explained. "We mostly do it to criminals now because they're the ones who need it the most. But there were times when other people were purified as well."

This piqued Seisui's curiosity. "Like who...?" she asked.

"Well..." Hiroshi began, pausing for a moment. "A long time ago...after the age of the Death Phantom, Queen Serenity was afraid that there could be other evil forces lurking among the mortals. So she gathered the Sailor Senshi and all of her energy, and purified everyone on the entire earth--so that the evil would not return."

"She _what_?" Seisui gasped in shock. "Is that... Is that _true_?"

"Y-Yes..." Hiroshi replied somewhat uneasily. "She thought about doing it more than once, actually. Several decades later, right before the age of the Black Moon Family...the crime rate had gone up severely then. It was during the time that she considered it that the Black Moon Family left... they were against purification."

"But I thought the Black Moon family was against the Queen because they thought immortal life was blasphemy. They thought that the Silver Crystal was a sin against god..." Seisui told Hiroshi, remembering her many books on Neo Silver Millennium history. "Was that untrue...?"

"No," Hiroshi responded. "They also believed that. But Purification was one of the things they opposed. After all, it was one of the factors that lead to the new age of prosperity after the exile of the criminal Death Phantom."

"Why isn't any of this in the textbooks?" Seisui asked in a tone she decided might have been a little too demanding.

"It was in the textbooks," Usako explained, "But they chopped it out. Mom was against it, too... she didn't see anything to be ashamed of. But Dad...he said he thought it over a long time and decided that people--especially in the western countries--would misunderstand what purification was and think that it was brainwashing. The only documents that still have any semblance of a record of the Great Purification are some of the religious texts that were created around Neo Queen Serenity."

"Is that what you call it...?" Seisui asked, her voice full of pain and dismay. "The Great Purification...?"

"Y-yes...that's right...Seisui..." Usako trailed off; her voice was full of uncertainty. "Seisui, there's nothing wrong with being Purified..."

"Usako..." Seisui began, tears trailing down her cheeks. "I can see why you would think that purification is right. You've been raised to believe that. But...if you lived with someone...who was like--like _that--_I don't know if you can ever understand, but--" Seisui broke off into a sob, unable to regain her composure. "If you lived with someone who had been brainwashed like that--and believe me, that's what it is--then you could never, ever think that there was nothing wrong with it! Never!" Seisui put down her hot chocolate and stood up, turning toward Usako. "I--I better go...I...I'll see you later!" Seisui blurted, running out of the sitting room.

"Seisui, wait a second...!" Hiroshi began as Seisui ran off.

"Helios...what are we going to do? I really do believe she's a nice person...she means well, but she doesn't understand..." Usako told Hiroshi, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "She never smiles...she reminds me of Hotaru. I want to make her understand."

"I believe in you, Usako." Hiroshi said, hugging Usako tightly.

"Thanks..." Usako replied.

"Now c'mon..." He smiled, putting his arm around her in encouragement. "Seisui probably won't be able to get out of the castle without our help. We better go find her. I don't think she'll want to talk anymore today, though...but we can at least get her home and give her some encouraging words, right?"

"Yeah," Usako replied, smiling half-heartedly. "Let's go."

* * *

Seisui ran out of the parlor room and immediately headed for the main entryway. If everyone else's rooms where on the top floor, Neo Queen Serenity's would undoubtedly be nearby. Whether Haruko was telling the truth or not when she said the Queen's room was "somewhere else" had yet to be seen. So, using what Usako had told her as a guide, Seisui dashed up four sets of stairs; while the pathway to go higher up the staircase was lit, the halls on either side didn't appear to get much use, as they were neither lit nor, Seisui observed, dust free. Seisui ran into one of these hallways and opened the nearest door; it was a large, ornate bathroom with ceramic tiles. Perfect.

"Titan prism power, make up!" Seisui shouted as a swirl of black water transformed her into Sailor Titan. Stepping out of the bathroom, she smirked bitterly to herself.

"I'll kill you, Serenity...or die trying." With this, she continued running up the stairs. The maids, thankfully, must have been busy picking up after supper and cleaning up the surrounding area; the upper stories were devoid of people. The only trick was getting to the Queen's room without being spotted by another Senshi.

The top story seemed pretty quiet at the moment; although the lights were on and Sailor Titan could hear people stirring within the rooms. Sailor Titan quickly glanced on either side of her; on the right side, the end of the hall could visibly be seen. There, she saw a large pink door with a moon emblazoned on it, which Sailor Titan presumed was most likely Usako's room. On either side of the right hall were more rooms that she presumed to be those of the outers and asteriods. The left side of the hall went down further; the rooms of the Queen's four Sailor Guardians were on either side. At the end of the hallway was a smaller, crystal door which resembled any number of other doors in the palace.

Sailor Titan smirked. Was this the hardest it was going to be? She looked on either side of her to make sure no one was coming; then she dashed to the end of the hall and opened the crystal door as quietly as possible, shutting it behind her. On the inside of the door was a short staircase, which led to another short hall and then a huge, elaborate door of clear crystal. This was it, Sailor Titan thought nervously. This was the end of all of this.

Sailor Titan walked up the stairway and looked at the door. Her heart was pounding furiously; she did not know what would come of all of this, but she remembered the grave look on her fathers face as he left for court...

_"When I return, Seisui, I will be your father no longer. Remember me as I am... not as what I will become."_

Sailor Titan struggled to hold back tears as disappointment filled her. She couldn't save her father. Now he was only a shadow of his former self, and he would be stuck that way for all eternity. Her hatred for Queen Serenity fueled her will, and Seisui swung open the door in her fury. Surprisingly, the door hardly made a sound.

She was sitting there, all alone. Her back was turned to Sailor Titan; she was holding a box that gently tinkled the tune of "greensleeves" into the otherwise silent air around her.

There was no point in wasting time. Titan looked around the room for something to attack her with; a blade through the back of her neck would mean a swifter and quicker death than using something loud and noisy like an attack. To Sailor Titan's left, a huge stone broad sword hung ominously on the wall; The Sacred Sword that protected the princess over a thousand years ago. Sailor Titan smiled as she quietly approached the blade; an end both ironic and fitting.

Sailor Titan pulled the blade from it's place on the wall, causing a soft "shik" to sound in the room. Sailor Titan cursed as the sound aroused the Queen's attention and she turned away from the music box in surprise.

"Is that you, Mamo--"

The Queen gasped in shock as Sailor Titan held the Sacred Blade in front of her, smiling bitterly.

"The soldier of retribution has arrived," Sailor Titan announced righteously. "For the sake of Titan, I will spill your blood."

"W-Who are you?" Serenity stuttered, leaning against her dressing table in fear and knocking her music box to the ground. Sailor Titan approached her slowly, holding the Holy Sword outward.

"I am Sailor Titan, representing the moon Titan of this Solar System."

"Titan... you mean... Sailor Saturn's castle...?"

"The name is taken from my moon," Sailor Titan replied matter-of-factly.

"Senshi.. of the Moons... but... I was the only Sailor Moon!"

"There was time before you, Queen Serenity," Sailor Titan smirked. "And there will be time after you, as well."

"You can't be a real Sailor Senshi," Queen Serenity murmured. "You are an impostor, dressed like a senshi of this solar system! The senshi of this solar system are dedicated to serving the holy crown!"

"The only holy crown I serve is my own; Titan, the moon with the sea of darkness and the soil of blood."

"Soil of blood... are you an agent of Chaos...?"

"I am a Sailor Senshi of a moon, just as you once were, Queen Serenity. I have come to end your life, which has profaned and erased so many others." Sailor Titan lunged toward the Queen, the Holy Sword pointing strait at the Queen's neck. Serenity moved abruptly to the right; Sailor Titan's momentum as she ran forward kept her from changing her course, and the Sacred Sword smashed into the mirror on her dressing table and straight through the other side of its thick marble frame. Sailor Titan turned her face away to keep the many shards of reflective glass from piercing her face; however, she refused to let go of the Sacred Sword, even though the glass had made several cuts along her skinny arms.

Looking down at the floor, Sailor Titan could see the music box that the Queen had knocked aside. At first, her eyes passed by the meaningless object; but the writing on the inside of the golden music box cover caught her attention. Emblazoned in bold black lettering were the words "vonDarkmoor;" A name which Sailor Titan recognized but could not place.

Sailor Titan could feel two hands wrapping themselves tightly around her own; she turned back toward the mirror and saw Serenity, holding Sailor Titan's hands firmly on the Sacred Sword's hilt. Sailor Titan struggled to free her hands, but Titan had little in the way of strength, and the Queen, while still not strong, easily outmatched her.

"Tell me... 'Sailor Titan'... for what purpose do you wish to kill me?"

"Vengeance!" Sailor Titan hissed. "You have ruled poorly and selfishly. You have brainwashed people into loving you instead of proving your worth through your actions! You are despicable!"

"Poor creature," Neo Queen Serenity said sadly. "You're been blinded by hatred and suffering. You create a Sailor Senshi and seek justice using their name as proof of your worthiness... I will see to it that your suffering is lifted."

"NO!" Sailor Titan screamed. "DON'T PURIFY ME!" Sailor Titan struggled desperately to escape, but the Queen's grip managed to hold her; the Holy Sword almost seemed to respond to the Queen, holding her hands onto it's hilt as if they were bonded by some kind of inexorable seal.

"Be at peace, poor child..." Neo Queen Serenity said soothingly, lifting one of her hands and placing it gently on Sailor Titan's head. Sailor Titan tried to take the chance to move pull her hands away from the Sacred Sword, but they were stuck... it was horrifying...

"BLACK STREAM DEATH!" Sailor Titan cried in desperation. Without her arms free, she did not expect the attack to work; but fierce, snake like creatures with wolf like jaws extended outward from between her fingers and bit savagely into the Queen's hand. Serenity pulled her remaining hand away; Titan found, to her relief, that she was able to pull her hands away from the sword. Serenity's other hand was still resting on her head; Sailor Titan pulled it away and glared fiercely into the Queen's blue eyes. Sailor Titan could hear footsteps behind her; the door to the Queen's room swung wide open, and Sailor Titan could see Sailor Uranus entering the room.

"Who's there!" She shouted urgently, looking toward the queen. "Who is this? What did they do to you!" She hissed in anger.

Sailor Titan backed away a couple of steps.

"Is she a senshi...?" Sailor Jupiter asked in bewilderment.

"No way..." Sailor Venus murmured in shock. "It's... the Rebel Sailor Senshi..."

Sailor Titan knew that there was no way in hell she was going to beat down eight Sailor Senshi and the King. Her only hope was to throw them off, punch through and make a run for the front door.

"Black stream death!" Sailor Titan cried as more of the demonic, snake-like creatures launched themselves at the Sailor Senshi. They seemed taken aback by her attack, and thankfully, were caught off-guard. The snakes wrapped themselves around the soldiers and began to bite at their flesh; Sailor Titan started to leave, but paused for a moment to pick up the golden music box. Then she made a dash for the door. It was only a matter of time before the attack wore off and the rest of the senshi were right behind her.

She rushed down the small hallway and the short stairs, through the hall and onto the great staircase; she could hear the running footsteps of the Sailor Senshi behind her, though they still seemed far away. They staircase seemed to go on mindlessly, and she could hear the Senshi catching up to her... please, Sailor Titan thought as she gasped for breath, let me get out of here... get me out of here...

_"Remember me as I am... not as what I will become."_

Sailor Titan began to feel dizzy as she thought of meeting her father's fate... her father's dull, meaninglessly happy expression appeared in her mind. Everything that meant anything to her would disappear...Tokimo...the kindness she had shown her would mean nothing. Was it too late? Was her family doomed forever? The taunts of her peers echoed painfully through her mind. The horrible, false accusations of slander...

The stairway ended just as Sailor Titan was getting ready to give up; the huge double doors appeared before her. She was going to get out. Approaching the doors, Sailor Titan glanced quickly behind her; thank god, the Sailor Senshi were still several yards away and were only just leaving the staircase.

The door flung open. Sailor Titan paused for a moment as she looked behind her; all of the Sailor Senshi had stopped dead in their tracks and were staring at Sailor Titan in complete and total shock. Sailor Titan didn't waste any time gaping back; she clutched the music box tightly and dashed out of the door, filled with dread as she realized this was an incident she would come to very strongly regret.

* * *

"...The door." Sailor Mars murmured.

"She went through the door." Sailor Venus said, a dumbfounded expression crossing her face.

"No way!" Sailor Uranus shouted. "No way that's a real Sailor Senshi!"

"Isn't the attack proof enough? She had senshi powers! It would be obvious that she's a senshi." Sailor Jupiter retorted.

"She could have been an agent of Chaos." Sailor Neptune informed her. "Chaos's vessels often use such attacks."

"It would seem that would be the most logical explanation," Sailor Mercury said uneasily, "Yet, if that were so, how could she run through the front door like that? Only those will Sailor Crystals can enter and leave the Crystal Palace!"

There was an uneasy pause as the Sailor Senshi debated this in their minds.

"Maybe she's stolen the star seed of another senshi, like Galaxia and the Sailor Anima Mates," Sailor Mars suggested. "That would explain her powers."

"But who did she steal the star seed from? And where did she find Chaos? We don't even know what Sailor Senshi she is--or supposedly is." Sailor Venus responded in frustration. "Besides, Galaxia's agents wore the sailor crystals on their gauntlets."

"Before our arrival, this Senshi was conversing with the Queen," Sailor Saturn informed them. "Perhaps she knows the name of her mother star."

"I will talk to her." Endyminion told them. "It's late, and staying up until two o'clock discussing this serves no purpose. The rest of you should go to bed."

"Yes, your majesty." Sailor Saturn replied. The other Sailor Senshi looked at each other uneasily.

"What about Chibi-Usa and her... er... visitor...?" Sailor Venus timidly asked him.

"Don't worry. Chibi-Usa can take care of that much on her own. Please... Excuse me." Endyminion requested as he turned around and headed back up the long, spiral staircase alone, his lavender cloak flowing behind him. The Sailor Senshi stood and watched him leave; then slowly, they too headed back up the staircase, until only Sailor Uranus and Neptune remained.

"Michiru...?" Sailor Uranus asked uneasily, watching the others leave.

"Yes...?" She responded, leaning slightly on Uranus's shoulder.

"Is it just a coincidence--"

"Let us leave such questions for tomorrow, Haruka." Michiru interrupted. "Small Lady will see great hardship soon enough; let us not rush to bring it upon her."

"You're right..." Haruka replied uneasily, taking Michiru's hand and heading up the stairs.

* * *

Sailor Titan gasped, breathing in the air around her gratefully as she reverted to Seisui. She pulled out her communicator and contacted Tokimo. She could have taken the bus home, but she didn't want to go home alone; she needed companionship right now.

"Hiya!" Tokimo said cheerfully as she appeared on the screen. "Is it time to kick ass yet?"

A few tears fell down Seisui's cheek as she realized how happy she was to hear Tokimo's inane voice and equally inane comments.

"Huh? What's wrong, Seisui?" Tokimo asked, her voice simultaneously concerned and confused.

"I'm fine. I'm just glad to be alive and myself." She responded, wiping away her tears.

"Did that little pink brat try to kill you?" Tokimo asked, anger evident in her voice. "I'll beat her up, Tokimo-style!"

"No... I almost got purified, though... by the Queen.. I was so terrified..."

Tokimo blinked in confused.

"Huh? Purified? The Queen? Just what were you doing, huh, huh?" Tokimo asked.

"It's a long story... can you get me a ride? I'm in front of the Crystal Palace."

"The Crystal Palace!" Tokimo exclaimed. "What were you doing there?"

"Also a long story."

"Well... okay." Tokimo replied. "My mom can give you a ride. See you soon, then!" Tokimo said cheerfully, waving as the communicator bleeped out.

* * *

Tokimo nibbled absentmindedly on a raspberry strudel as Seisui explained her experiences in the Crystal Palace to Tokimo. Seisui was surprised how easily she was able to retell the somewhat traumatic events that had occurred there; but it was hard to be depressed in Tokimo's room, where decor was completely and meticulously centered around purple bunnies. And if the purple bunnies didn't dispel any personal anguish, Tokimo almost certainly would; she had even set up a cute little table with a pile of very, very unhealthy pastries and tea. As the girls discussed their problems, they sat on top of two fluffy purple bunny-print pillows.

"But there's one thing I don't get..." Tokimo began as Seisui completed her story. "What is Purification?"

"Purification?" Seisui paused for a moment; the topic still made her uneasy.

"Yeah. You said that Usako didn't understand why it upset you that your dad got purified. And then there was that whole bit about "The Great Purification"... I didn't get that, either." Tokimo explained. "So whazzit mean?"

"All Sailor Senshi have two different influences," Kouken interjected, noticing Seisui's uncomfortable expression. "One that is physical, and one that is abstract. Sailor Moon's physical element is light, but her abstract is Purity and Sanctity."

"Soooo...?" Tokimo prompted Kouken.

"So, Sailor Moon's crystal can be used on people to Purify them. When people are purified, all of their hatred and unhappiness is removed."

"But that's good, right...?" Tokimo asked in confusion.

"No, it's not." Seisui interrupted. "It sounds really pretty when you say it, but in reality it does horrible things to a person. It's almost like brainwashing. Removing someone's unhappiness doesn't just mean that they aren't unhappy. It means that everything they ever hated, anyone that ever hurt them... those feelings of dislike are removed, stripped, raped of them. A whole half of their personality is completely missing!"

"So what you're saying is that if I get purified, I'll think roast pork is the best stuff around?" Tokimo said in distaste.

"Not the best stuff around, just good, like everything else." Seisui amended.

"Huh?" Tokimo asked in confusion.

"Negative and Positive emotions act almost like a gradient," Kouken explained. "Together, they blend together and make a sort of barometer, with some things being more negative to a person and some things being more positive; so if you hated roast pork, it would be a negative feeling and thus more negative than positive. If you absolutely loved, say, strawberry pie, though, that would be a positive emotion and thus would be more positive than negative. But if you just take away one side of a gradient, it only leaves one color. So you would like all things equally; you would love all of them."

"I think I kinda get it." Tokimo replied, still looking a bit confused.

"If Sailor Moon purified you, Tokimo, you wouldn't want to fight Sailor Pinkmoon and you wouldn't want to hurt Diana, even. They would mean as much to you as your parents mean to you. You would love every one and all of them." Seisui explained.

Tokimo paused, an expression of disgust crossing her face. "I would love _Diana_ as much as my own _Parents_?" She responded.

Seisui nodded gravely.

"Sailor Moon did that to your Dad! Then that means--"

"My father no longer believes what Queen Serenity was doing is bad. He no longer loves me as his daughter. He loves me just because I exist."

"Then...what is the Great Purification...?" Tokimo asked warily.

"An entire generation of people--everyone on the planet--whose hatred was wiped out; wiped clean like a chalkboard." Seisui replied angrily.

"That's...horrible..a whole generation...and she did that to your own father, too...and now you mean no more to him that that little pink brat...Seisui..." Tokimo looked up at Seisui, who was sniffling and wiping away tears.

"Don't worry about it, Tokimo." Seisui said weakly.

Tokimo slammed her fist on the table angrily and looked toward Seisui, her face filled with determination.

"I'll find a way to bring your father back." Tokimo vowed. "I promise, Seisui. No matter what!"

Seisui smiled and wiped away the last of her tears; Tokimo's words filled her with encouragement.

"That's right," Seisui replied hopefully. "No matter what."

_EPISODE THREE: FIN_

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Usako:** Seisui's disappearance and Sailor Titan's coincide. I am faced with the possibly of future betrayal; but I cannot believe it--Seisui is my friend! But how can I convince anyone but my dearest Helios? Even the Sailor Quartet is against me. My mother is reluctant to side with me after my decision to fight in secret. How can anyone blame me for wanting my independence...!

**Seisui:** Suspicions about my identity begin to surface in the Royal Palace. There is no proof of Sailor Titan's identity, but rumors reach the outside and accusations soon fly amongst the public...

**Tokimo:** The reappearance of "the Han'i" as the distrusted friend of Usako brings back old memories and conflicts. Even though Usako defends her as a friend, the words of the greatest authority are heeded and Seisui is seen as a threat by her peers. Seisui... how could people treat you so thoughtlessly?

**Yamiko: **Conflicts caused by ignorance are no concern of mine. I cannot and will not get involved with this fight. But I must warn Usako...if she does not know the truth and accept what must be done, only more ill can come to her and this planet. But all forms of love, past, future, present--romantic, parental and friendship--are blind to the conflicts around them.

**Seisui: **The world is against me. Tokimo...what should I do...?

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"Denial"_

Evil returns to those who create it.


	4. Episode Four: Denial

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Four:

"Denial"

* * *

"Usako..." Endymion said softly as he entered Neo Queen Serenity's room, his voice full of concern and worry. "Usako... are you alright?"

Usagi was sitting on her canopied bed, her troubled face turned toward the crystal floor of her bedroom. She sniffled slightly and looked at Endymion.

"You shouldn't call me that, Mamo-chan..." she replied weakly. "That's Chibi--" She broke her sentence off, woefully realizing her habitual desire to call Chibi-Usa by her now discarded name. "...That's...Usako's name now." She corrected herself, her voice wavering slightly as she repressed a sob.

"Chibi-Usa will always be Chibi-Usa," Endymion told her firmly, "And Usako will always be my Queen." He sat down next to her and put a comforting arm around her. He looked at the vanity, its shining mirror shattered into pieces and the Sacred Sword still running ominously through its center. Usagi's tear rimmed face seemed to be cautiously avoiding the sight of it.

"You want to know what happened," Usagi said weakly, sniffling slightly. "That's what you're here for--isn't it, Mamo-chan?"

"That was part of it," Endymion confessed a bit guiltily, "But I also wanted to make sure you were okay. Everyone is pretty shaken up about everything. Seisui, and now this... and I'm sure everyone is starting to draw their own conclusions. Honestly... I really don't want to get Chibi-Usa mixed up in this. She's seen enough problems for one lifetime... maybe it was foolish of us to let her go to public high school. She just isn't a normal teenager. She isn't really a teenager at all..."

"She wants to be a Lady." Usagi replied. "That's what she always wanted. Back when she was young, too...she just wanted to push all of us...me...away." Usagi's voice wavered again. "That was why she didn't tell me about Sailor Titan...about the Rebel Senshi..."

"Usako..." Endymion said softly, pulling her a bit closer. "Usako...what makes you think Chibi-Usa knows anything about Sailor Titan?"

"There were rumors..." Usagi began weakly, "Minako heard them when she was out on the town. About new Sailor Senshi...about Rebel Sailor Senshi that Pinkmoon was fighting. I didn't believe them. I thought Chibi-Usa would tell me something like that...but...well...you saw her, didn't you? That terrorist came at me with shouts of vengeance and injustice...full of horrible lies and accusations...that girl...she seemed so convinced that it all was true...surely, Chaos must have brainwashed that innocent girl..."

Endymion paused for a moment, almost reluctant to tell Usagi the truth. How would she feel, knowing that this senshi...Sailor Titan...was no imposter but truly held the power of a star?

"She left through the door." Endymion said reluctantly. Usagi looked up, her expression confused and still showing signs of distress.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Of course she left through the door. Otherwise she'd still be here, right?"

"No...Usako..." Endymion sighed wearily. "Don't you see? She left through the _door_. The magical door."

Usagi paused for a moment; the realization took several moments to sink in. When she finally understood, she shook her head in denial; it must be a mistake, she convinced herself.

"She must have gone through a window, right Mamo-chan? You didn't see her leave. It could have been a window."

Endymion shook his head slowly; Usagi looked desperate, hopeful that he could be wrong.

"We saw her leave. We saw the doors open willingly before her. There can be no question of how she escaped."

"She has a sailor crystal..."

Usagi paused; she was completely, utterly, overwhelmed. Unwilling to hold back any longer, she let herself cry freely; Endymion hugged her, patiently waiting for her tears to subside.

"Usako..." Endymion said quietly and Usagi's sobs diminished, "What did this Sailor Titan tell you?"

"Only that she wanted vengeance, and that she came from Titan..." Usagi explained weakly. "The sea of darkness and the soil of blood...that was what she said of her mother star. When she said that...I thought for sure it was Chaos."

"It may still be." Endymion replied. "She may be like Sailor Galaxia, and she stole the sailor crystal of another."

"Yeah... that must be it. I'll purify her, and then this will all be better. Right?" she asked hopefully, turning toward Endymion. He nodded.

"Everything will be fine, Usako." he said, wiping away her tears. "Come on, now...it's getting late. We'll deal with this more in the morning. We'll talk to Chibi-Usa. Maybe she really didn't know about this senshi. Maybe the rumors were wrong."

Usagi nodded in agreement, smiling weakly. "Yeah. I can't believe Chibi-Usa would hide something that important from me."

* * *

Usako sat down dejectedly on the sitting room couch. They had scoured every inch of the palace; between the long unused guest chambers and record storage rooms, it had taken them until four o'clock in the morning. For all their work, Usako thought, they hadn't found a trace of Seisui.

"It's no use..." Usako sighed, staring sadly down at the now forsaken mugs of hot chocolate. "She's gone. She must have gone through a window. We'll just have to talk to her after school."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Hiroshi asked, sitting down next to her in exhaustion.

"What do you mean...?" Usako asked, her tone a bit uneasy. "Why not?"

"I don't know..." he sighed. "I really hate to say it, Usako...but Seisui seemed so convinced. I'm not sure we could change her mind. I...well...you saw her. It's not that I want her to live in ignorance of the truth... but the subject just upsets her so much. Do we really want to pressure her about something we know will make her cry?"

"That might be true, but...I think once she understands, she won't have to be sad about it anymore. If we can do that, then it'd be better in the long run."

"Yeah..." Hiroshi agreed, his tone resigned. "Yeah, you're right, of course. But I think we should hold off for a few days. Let Seisui recover a bit."

"All right." Usako replied uneasily. "I guess it would be a bit much after all she went through today."

"Besides," Hiroshi added, "We have other things to think about now. Regardless of what your mother thinks, most of the others don't trust Seisui. We have to convince them that she isn't a threat."

"I still can't believe what they did at suppertime..." Usako said in exasperation. "How could they be so thoughtless? They were talking about her like she wasn't even there."

"Yes..." Hiroshi sighed. "But what can we do about it now? It's four o'clock...Let's go to sleep. We'll deal with this tomorrow after school. Maybe Queen Serenity will be more sympathetic. After all...her decision is everyone's decision."

"Yeah..." Usako groaned slightly. "But now we have to walk up all those stairs. I really wish I lived in a smaller house..."

"Here..." Hiroshi offered, noticing the look of exhaustion on Usako's face, "I'll teleport. Okay?"

Usako looked toward Hiroshi somewhat worriedly. "Are you sure it's okay? You're already so tired... if you expend that kind of energy right now, you might pass out."

Hiroshi shrugged.

"Who cares if I do? At least I'll be asleep." He yawned loudly, kneeling down as he began to mumble a prayer to Elysion. Usako couldn't help smiling a little at the ridiculous sight of Helios's holy prayer in his navy blue school uniform. A moment later she was surrounded by light; the familiar sight of her sparkling pink bedroom door greeted her. She turned around, making sure Hiroshi was all right; he was conscious, though barely, and smiled weakly as he struggled to stand up.

"Will you be okay...?" Usako asked. He was panting lightly; as she suspected, expending the energy while he was still so tired had been a lot to handle. He nodded weakly, still smiling, and motioned for her to go into her room.

"Well... all right," she said reluctantly, opening the door to her room and glancing behind her. "I'll see you in the morning, then, Helios." She smiled. "I love you." Hiroshi nodded enthusiastically and motioned again for her to leave. Usako nodded and walked inside her room, closing the pink door gently behind her. She drowsily put on her pajamas and crawled into bed; the warm sensation that came from Hiroshi's kindness still lingered, and she fell asleep with a quiet smile on her face.

* * *

"Lady Serenity..." Endymion called as he knocked on the elaborate pink door, "Lady Serenity... wake up!"

Usako was jolted awake by the sound of her father's voice. She looked over at her alarm clock disinterestedly... 10:00 am.

10:00 am...?!

"Oh no!" she shouted, jolting upright and continuing to look at her clock in disbelief, "I'm two hours late!"

"You're not going to school today," he told her.

"Huh?" she responded in confusion. "No school...?"

"Right. The Senshi are meeting today."

"What? Why? What for?" Usako asked, becoming more perplexed as the conversation continued.

"About Seisui Han'i... and the Rebel Senshi."

The Rebel Senshi? Her mother couldn't have found out..?! Usako tried to subdue her panic; surely, the Asteroids couldn't have told her mother? She knew they had been doubtful of her abilities...but she was still their leader!

But then, Usako thought nervously, they were also her guardians, and they might have thought it was their responsibility to look after her. Furthermore, what did Seisui have to do with anything? Surely they couldn't have thought...?

"Get dressed, Lady Serenity, and come down to meeting room. Everyone is waiting for you."

Usako pulled off her flannel plaid pajamas and fidgeted into her royal dress. Seisui... what could they be thinking? She flung her door wide open; her father was gone, but Helios, dressed in his priest uniform, was waiting patiently waiting outside her door. He looked preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Helios..." Lady Serenity murmured as he looked up at her. "What's happened...?"

Helios shook his head; he was also unaware of the meaning of this news. The only thing he had to offer Lady Serenity was his hand, which she gratefully accepted. They were the only ones defending Seisui, and the only strength they had was each other.

* * *

Come.

_"Who's there?" Prodosia asked fearfully, wiping away her tears as she sat in the garden. "Who's calling me?"_

Come to the ocean, Prodosia.

_"How do you know my name...?" she asked, walking toward the ominous sea of darkness. There was a cliff--a great cliff where the garden ended and one iron chair sat dangerously close to the edge of the fifty-foot drop. The drop above Titan's dark sea. Prodosia felt a strong and ominous power coming from Titan's strange sea; she was fearful, but she was more afraid to disobey._

_"Who's there...?" she asked as she peered over the cliff. Her head swam as she looked at the ominous, swirling mass; she felt as though she were going to fall in..._

I am your Guardian. Do not be afraid.

_"My guardian?" she asked, her voice trembling somewhat. "But my mother is my guardian... and she..."_

"Seisui!" Tokimo cried, pulling the dark blue comforter off the guest bed in the room next to Tokimo's. "Seisui, we're gonna be late if you keep tossing and turning and mumbling like that!"

Seisui shivered slightly as cold spring air drifted through an open window. Tokimo stood above her, her hands set impatiently on her fuzzy purple bunny-patterned bathrobe.

"Huh?" she mumbled dazedly, looking around the guest room. Compared to Tokimo's room, the pastel colored guest room was quite sedately adorned.

"The shower's ready and waiting, Seisui!" she continued cheerfully. "Get up!"

"I had another weird dream..." she mumbled, rubbing her eyes and stretching as she got out of bed. Since Seisui had gone straight to Tokimo's house from the castle, she had lent Seisui one of her nightgowns; a nightgown which, Seisui thought bitterly as she felt the tender red impressions from the tight elastic, did not fit her well.

"Really?" the voice of Kouken asked with interest. Seisui turned toward the voice; Kouken sat on one of the comfortable armchairs in the guest bedroom. "What kind of dream...?"

"Seisui doesn't have time for that nonsense!" Tokimo objected, turning toward the ferret. "She has to get ready for school. Don't worry, my mom washed your school clothes; they're right in the bathroom. So go take your shower and eat, okay?"

"Yeah... Sure," Seisui replied distractedly as she plodded toward the shower.

"Tokimo!" Kouken snapped in frustration, "Why did you do that?! Dreams are important, you know! They're about Diana and your past!"

"What happened to Seisui is her own business," Tokimo replied defensively, "unless she wants to talk about it. No changing what happened back then now, anyway. Now shut up and be good or I won't give you any cucumbers... not for a week!" She threatened. Kouken opened this mouth to respond; but, as strong as his pride was, it was not stronger than the lure of cucumbers. He settled for a mean scowl, which Tokimo promptly returned in full force.

* * *

Tokimo waited for what seemed like forever for Seisui to get out of the shower. When she finally got out, she began stuttering and apologizing for the time she took far more than Tokimo thought any human was capable of. Tokimo managed to put her at ease again by about three minutes worth of "It's okay, I really don't care" and they walked into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before they left.

When they walked into the sunny, periwinkle-blue kitchen, the inviting smell of pancakes surrounded them.

"Good morning, Tokimo," Tokimo's mother said cheerfully, rolling down the sleeves of her light blue outfit, which, Seisui noticed in amusement, also matched the kitchen. "Since your friend looked so upset last night, I thought I'd put a bright spin on the morning and make you all pancakes!" Tokimo grinned in excitement, running up to her mother and hugging her happily. Tokimo's inane behavior was evidently genetic, Seisui noticed.

"Thanks, Mom!" she giggled as she released her hug. Before her mother could say "you're welcome," Tokimo dashed for the pancakes. She promptly took about four or five of them and motioned to Seisui with her fork for her to join her.

"Thank you very much," Seisui said politely, bowing in front of Tokimo's mother.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," she laughed as she pulled Seisui upwards. "None of that formality around here, though. Out on the ocean we don't bother with all that silliness."

"The ocean...?" Seisui asked in puzzlement. Tokimo and her mother had spoken with an odd rhythm in their voices, but Seisui had always assumed that it was just their voices. Maybe it was actually a dialect.

"Yeah," she replied. "We come from Shiawaumi. You know, out on the Pacific."

"Oh... a floating city," Seisui replied. With the space constraints that came with long life--and thus, a large population--scientists and technicians had created floating cities where people could live anywhere in the water, including vast distances away from land. There had also been talk of re-inhabiting the Moon, though nothing had been done about it since discussion of the possibility began 20 years ago.

"That's right. But it was sooo boring there. It's much more exciting in Crystal Tokyo!" Tokimo replied happily. Seisui sat down next to Tokimo and politely took a single pancake, cutting it delicately with her knife.

"Jeez, Seisui," Tokimo protested, "You're a growing girl!" With this, Tokimo unceremoniously flopped two more pancakes on Seisui's plate.

"But Tokimo, I don't think I'll--"

"No buts, Seisui! You're eating every last piece!"

"Shouldn't we save some for--" Seisui began to object.

"Animal chow is enough for that hairy rodent!" Tokimo cut her off. "He's in the other room eating his own breakfast. Now you eat yours!"

"Now, Tokimo," her mother scolded her, "You're not Seisui's mother."

"I'm only looking out for her best interest," Tokimo replied as she motioned her fork dramatically in the air and chomped on another piece of pancake, "Someone's got to, you know!"

"Yes... Yes, I suppose that is true." Her mother replied disquietly.

Tokimo's mother's comment made Seisui a little uneasy; but Tokimo's random and inane chatter always served as a wonderful distraction, and by the time they had finished Seisui felt extremely full and completely better.

"Now come on," Tokimo told Seisui as they put the dishes in the sink, "Let's grab our stuff and go to school."

"Maybe I should leave later than you," Seisui replied anxiously as they walked toward Tokimo's room to pick up their ferret and their bags, "so that Usako doesn't think anything is weird."

"Naaah," Tokimo responded, "It'll be fine. She probably won't even come to school after all the commotion last night."

"Y-yeah," Seisui responded a little uneasily, "I guess you're right."

"Don't worry about it!" Tokimo assured Seisui as she whapped her on the back, "Everything'll be fine. We'll get Usako and her nasty mom before you know it."

Seisui tried to nod as cheerfully as possible as she grabbed her school bag. Kouken, whose head was sticking out of Tokimo's purple backpack, looked imploring toward Seisui.

"Please," he pleaded, "Please take me! I'm sick of being carried by Tokimo!"

"Absolutely not!" Tokimo informed him harshly. "If Seisui takes the backpack, Usako might recognize it and ask her where she got it. Besides, who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into if I wasn't around!"

"Me get into trouble? Miss 'I'm going to blurt out that Yamiko's a senshi in front of the whole school?' I don't think I'm the one we have to worry about."

Tokimo grinned mischievously as she picked up the purple backpack by the handle on the top.

"I'm just around to make sure you don't steal cucumbers from the school cafeteria." She replied tauntingly.

"What?! I would--"

Any further complaints on the part of Kouken were destroyed by Tokimo harshly stuffing Kouken inside of her purple backpack, which quickly changed his articulately worded complaints into various muffled shouts.

"Now be quiet, Kouken," Tokimo told him as a grin crossed her face, "Or they'll hear you at school. Don't want to go blurting things out, right...?

Kouken's response was a loud hiss and the sound of scratching on the sides of the backpack.

"And don't ruin my backpack!" she added. "Or you know what'll happen..."

"Tokimo, maybe we should get going. If we stick around much longer, we'll be late," Seisui interrupted hastily.

Tokimo sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I hope Erik isn't too boring today during English... he's always soooo grumpy, too!" she whined.

Tokimo gathered together the rest of her school binders for the day, which were unceremoniously scattered across the bedroom floor. She dumped them inside her larger purple school bag and flung both the large and small purple bag over her shoulder. Kouken's muffled lecturing could be heard from inside the smaller of the two bags.

"Perhaps you should be quiet, Kouken," Seisui suggested reluctantly, "Since we're going to school now."

"Hmph." Kouken replied indignantly. Thankfully, Seisui thought, he seemed more eager to listen to her advice than Tokimo's.

After Tokimo had finished gathering her luggage, Seisui picked up her small, black leather briefcase and followed Tokimo as she walked out the door and onto the street towards school. Seisui tried to remain as optimistic as possible about the school day ahead, but she just couldn't banish her feelings of unease about the possible consequences of the night before.

* * *

"Yesterday evening, events of a most serious nature occurred." Endymion began, looking gravely toward the now-assembled Sailor Senshi. "The nearly impenetrable palace of Crystal Tokyo was invaded by a mysterious Senshi who called herself 'Sailor Titan.' She proceeded to attempt the murder of the Queen using the Sacred Sword entrusted to the Sailor Guardians; after her attempt was thwarted by the Queen's protectors, she made her escape using a strange attack and ran straight through the front door."

A look of disquiet and uneasiness crossed the faces of the Sailor Senshi at these words; many of them fidgeted in the elaborate, marble chairs of the grand meeting room or clutched their hands nervously as they rested their arms on the elegant coordinating table.

"Before I continue, it is of great importance to all of us that the truth is known, Lady Serenity." Endymion said gravely.

Lady Serenity looked down at the pristine table, a look of fear crossing her face. Helios looked at Endymion with an accusatory expression; the way Lady Serenity's feelings had been disregarded and the way she was being publicly interrogated was unforgivable.

"Y-yes?" Lady Serenity stammered, continuing to look downwards.

"Do you know Sailor Titan? Have you heard of her or seen her before I mentioned her today?"

Lady Serenity paused nervously; she did not want her mother to interfere with her own battles. Her desire to be independent told her that anything was better than risking that; but her own sense of morality forbade her from lying, especially to someone who trusted her so deeply as her mother. Helios looked at her supportively; he knew the decision that she faced, and Lady Serenity knew that he was willing to lie with her if that was what she wanted. Lady Serenity looked toward her mother; She looked so completely and utterly betrayed. Seeing her mother's face, Lady Serenity did not have the heart to lie.

"...Yes. I know of her. She works with another Senshi named Sailor Charon, who has attempted to kill me twice. There are two more that are included among the Moon Senshi's number: a...Tuxedo Mask of sorts, named Crimson Eagle, and another Senshi named Sailor Phoebe, who has chosen to work alongside him. They are against the cause of Titan and Charon; however, they are not fighting with me, either. They are trying to stop the fighting between us."

"Why?!" Queen Serenity shouted, standing up and resting her hands upon the marble table. "Why didn't you tell me, Chibi-Usa?"

Lady Serenity looked down guiltily, trying to ignore the tears that had begun to spill at the edges of her mother's eyes. How could she explain? She knew the truth would crush Usagi's heart.

"Your Majesty..." Helios stood up and faced Queen Serenity; he put a hand on Lady Serenity's shoulder, who was shaken at her mother's outburst. "You are no longer Sailor Moon. The responsibilities of that title now rest on your daughter; she merely wished fulfill those responsibilities. 'Chibi-Usa' spent 900 years as a young girl... but even she must someday grow up. As the Queen, you must learn to understand this. You cannot expect to baby her highness through the whole of her life. Someday, she will take your mantle as the queen and rule this earth. And when she does, she will not be able to rely on your help."

Usagi paused for a moment; she sat down and began to cry. Helios knew that she would. But Usagi was simply too attached to the little princess of Crystal Tokyo. She had been given 900 years to say goodbye to that little girl; 900 years and more. But even now that Chibi-Usa was clearly a little bunny no longer, she was obstinately trying to cling onto that past.

"How could you?" Makoto snapped, turning toward Helios. "How could you say something so goddamn thoughtless?"

"I was merely informing her of the truth." Helios stated. "Furthermore, the way that the Queen clings onto 'Chibi-Usa' has taken its toll on Lady Serenity as well. Her dream is to be a proud adult, ruling competently in the throne of her mother! How long will you deny her the chance to fulfill that dream?" Helios's tone suddenly became defensive and angry; something rare for someone so composed.

"I can't believe this!" Haruka shouted. "You're supposed to be the guardian and protector of the Queen! When did it become your job to tell her how to raise her own daughter?"

Helios paused; his sense of duty began to overwhelm his defense. Haruka was right; it was not his place. And yet, to Helios, Lady Serenity was already a mature and beautiful adult; or at least, well on the way to becoming one. And Neo Queen Serenity, for all her love, was completely unwilling to realize that.

"This is not the time for an argument between family members," Endymion announced, seizing the momentary silence to regain control of the meeting. "We will deal with these problems later." Queen Serenity sniffled slightly, slowly gaining control of her emotions; Endymion put his hand in hers, secretly wishing that he could have been more of a comfort to her.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Helios hesitantly replied.

"More importantly..." Endymion began, "Lady Serenity...what happened to Seisui after dinner yesterday?"

"What does Seisui have to do with any of this?" Lady Serenity responded defensively. "Why do you care where she went after supper?"

"The appearance of both the Han'i child and Sailor Titan seems too much to be coincidence," Michiru explained, "As we discussed before your arrival. We thought that perhaps--"

"You thought what?" Lady Serenity retorted. "You thought that Seisui would try to kill my mother?!"

"It makes sense, Usako, even you must realize that!" Haruko objected. "Seisui has the motivation to kill the queen. After all, her father's career was destroyed because of Neo Queen Serenity!"

"Seisui doesn't blame mother for her father's demotion!" Not for her father's demotion, Lady Serenity thought. But for other things...Seisui said she blamed herself, but Lady Serenity had a feeling that told her otherwise.

"Why else would Sailor Titan hold such a grudge against the Queen?" Rei asked her. "She said she wanted vengeance. That was what Usagi told us. She could have meant her father!"

"That isn't what the Moon Senshi want." Helios objected. The assembled members all turned toward Helios, waiting for an explanation. "The reason why Sailor Titan and Charon are fighting against Lady Serenity is because of something that happened in the distant past."

"Do you know of these Senshi, Helios? You are the oldest among us..." Ami asked, looking hopefully toward him. But Helios shook his head, meriting a look of disappointment.

"Luna and Artemis, advisors of the royal family, did not know their origin either," Hotaru responded, "It seems these Senshi outlive all of us."

"Maybe Sailor Pluto will know something," Minako suggested, "She's as old as time itself."

"Perhaps." Helios interrupted. "But I do know this much; Sailor Phoebe told us that a woman named Queen Diana destroyed their kingdoms long ago; this woman, apparently, was your grandmother, Neo Queen Serenity."

Queen Serenity looked upwards; her face was still bright red from crying, but this strange and unwanted news was shocking. "My... grandmother?"

"Queen Diana..." Artemis paused for a moment, recalling the name in his mind. "Indeed...Queen Diana was the mother of Queen Serenity, your mother from the Moon Kingdom. Not very much is known about her, though it is said that she wiped a great evil from this Solar System and united a divided people under the banner of the Moon."

"A great evil..." Haruka said reflectively. "It must be the Moon Senshi."

"Perhaps it was not so tragic that their kingdom was destroyed," Michiru suggested.

"Let us not conclude that the battle was purely black and white," Hotaru replied. "It may have been that Diana felt it a necessary evil, or even that she herself had been blinded by power or greed. Such things have happened before amongst the members of the Moon Kingdom. Queen Beryl suffered corruption at the hands of Chaos."

"But surely the very queen of the Moon could not be corrupted!" Artemis protested.

"You know that is untrue as well as I," Hotaru disagreed. "I fell victim to the power of Chaos. And even if one could make the argument of the Queen's greater power and purity... that serves no excuse when one thinks of Black Lady."

There was an uneasy pause as the Sailor Senshi exchanged glances and recalled the horrid memory of Black Lady, the evil incarnation of Lady Serenity that resulted from Chibi-Usa's desire to be a proud and admired adult. Hotaru's words had left a nasty aftertaste in their mouths.

"Even if Queen Diana were truly evil," Ami continued uneasily, "that doesn't explain why the Moon Senshi want to kill Lady Serenity. The sins of her ancestor are not her sins as well."

"Perhaps the Moon Senshi are merely petty, as the legends suggest," Haruka suggested rather scathingly.

"That isn't what Helios told us." Haruko objected. "According to Sailor Phoebe, if Lady Serenity has a child, the memories of Diana will take over and the Moon Senshi will be destroyed for the second time in their history."

There was another uneasy pause; the shocking statement was slow to sink in amongst the Senshi, and Neo Queen Serenity looked visibly upset.

"Is that true?" the Queen demanded, trepidation evident in her expression. "You're sure they weren't making that up?"

"We can't be sure," Helios confessed, "But it would explain both Sailor Titan and Charon's fervor for their cause, and well as the Crimson Eagle's desire to find an alternate solution. Regardless of whether this is actually true, the Moon Senshi seem quite thoroughly convinced that it is."

"But that's not what Sailor Titan said!" Neo Queen Serenity protested. "She said..." Queen Serenity paused for a moment, her voice wavering slightly. "She said she was going to kill me because I ruled selfishly."

"Whatever motives the Moon Senshi have, it does not rule out the possibility of Seisui's involvement," Michiru told them. "Such a complaint is obviously unrelated to this Queen Diana, whoever she may be. It would sound far more appropriate coming from the mouth of Han'i."

"Leave Seisui out of this!" Lady Serenity objected. "This isn't about Seisui!"

"This is exactly what this is about," Endymion retorted, his voice harsh and demanding. "We cannot ignore the possibly that Sailor Titan is Seisui Han'i!"

"But I know that Seisui wouldn't do anything like that!" Lady Serenity shouted, standing up and clenching a fist in her fury.

"Maybe that's just what Seisui wants you to think!" Rei exclaimed in response. Lady Serenity appeared visibly shaken at this; she replaced her hand on the table, but did not sit back down. Helios placed his hand on top of Lady Serenity's; it was quivering slightly, and Helios could see that she was on the verge of tears.

"Tell me, Lady Serenity..." Endymion sighed as looked toward his daughter, "Did you see Seisui leave the palace?"

"She left through a window!" Lady Serenity hastily replied, blurting out the first alibi she could think of.

"She left through a window?" Endymion asked, somewhat perplexed. "Why didn't you let her through the door?"

Lady Serenity paused fearfully for a moment, aware that rather than providing an excuse for Seisui's whereabouts, she had only raised even more suspicion.

"I..." she stuttered.

"Well?" Endymion asked.

"She...she ran off." Lady Serenity told him, realizing that defeat was inevitable. She clutched her free hand, its slender fingernails digging into the soft skin of her palm. "I didn't have the chance."

"This is ill news indeed," Michiru announced. "Seisui is now more suspicious than ever."

Lady Serenity bowed her head, cursing herself for her mistakes as tears began to well in her eyes. Helios looked up at her; he could say nothing to comfort her now.

"We should tell the press," Rei said. "If the public is aware, they'll be cautious of Seisui and attempt to confirm our suspicions."

"You can't be serious!" Helios shouted. "If you tell the press, the public will crucify Seisui! Hasn't she suffered enough already?"

"The more eyes and ears we have, the faster we discover the truth!" Haruka said ardently.

"Have you no thought for the girl's feelings? Whatever her sins, real or imagined, she is human!" Helios cried.

"We cannot take chances," Endymion explained. "This is a situation of an unusually grave nature. These Senshi are apparently real Senshi, yet we have no record of their existence besides a vague mention. Seisui Han'i appears, and with her, the Rebel Senshi. Furthermore, you have hidden their existence from us. Helios, it is not your place to criticize. In one day, the entire royal household has been wrenched into pieces!" He glared at Helios. "The decision has been made. We will inform the press immediately, in the hopes of bringing a swift end to this conflict. Lady Serenity..."

Lady Serenity looked up reluctantly, her face streaked with tears.

"Go to your room. I am amazed that you were able to cause this much trouble in such a short time. Your actions have shown a lack of judgment--I'm disappointed in you."

Lady Serenity looked impetuously toward her father, but she knew that the battle was lost. She looked hopelessly toward Helios for a word of encouragement; Helios wanted to tell her that things would be fine, but even he was at a loss for a solution. Seeing that Helios had nothing to offer her, Lady Serenity looked dejectedly down at the crystal floor and walked reluctantly toward the huge double staircase. Helios looked at Endymion; the obstinate look on his face told Helios that no argument he suggested would be welcome, and so he followed Lady Serenity, hoping that he could at least be of some comfort to her. Once they had left, Endymion looked back toward the Senshi.

"I will put forth the idea to all of you that Lady Serenity is pulled from Goban High School indefinitely. I do not think sending her to public school was a wise idea."

"No," Queen Serenity interjected, her voice wavering slightly.

"No?" Endymion repeated in confusion. "I thought you were uneasy about it as well, Usako."

"I was, but..." Queen Serenity paused for a moment, looking down at the table. "What Helios said earlier... well... maybe we were only giving Chibi-Usa excuses not to tell us."

"What do you mean...?" Endymion asked.

"Her majesty may be suggesting that Chibi-Usa refused to tell us the truth because she knew that doing so would convince you to pull her out of school." Hotaru explained. "Chibi-Usa has always wanted to go to school with ordinary people her age, just like when she traveled to the past...by being so reluctant to let her do so, you have only encouraged her deceptive behavior. If Chibi-Usa did not feel her freedom and independence were at risk, I do not believe she would have hidden the Rebel Senshi from you."

Endymion looked at Queen Serenity, half-heartedly wishing that she would disagree. But Serenity nodded. And Endymion knew that once she had made a decision such as this, there was little anyone could do to change her mind. The Sailor Senshi, apparently, felt the same way; even those who Endymion knew would have liked to disagree with the queen were uneasily accepting her decision. He sighed in defeat and turned toward Hotaru.

"The decision has obviously been made," he announced, "but I don't think Chibi-Usa should continue to go without any guidance or supervision. Hotaru, I would like you to employ yourself as a teacher at Goban High School and keep an eye on her."

Hotaru looked upwards with an slightly insulted expression.

"You are suggesting that I spy on my best friend...?" she asked somewhat bitterly.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving her there alone. I think this would be the best and most peaceful way to solve the problem."

"I cannot betray Chibi-Usa's trust by performing such a deceptive task. I refuse," she responded.

"If you do not go, I will merely send someone else. I was simply suggesting you because you're Chibi-Usa's friend, and I think you would look out for her best interest."

"Please go, Hotaru," Queen Serenity implored, "I fear for Chibi-Usa's safety as well. You don't have to interfere...not unless things become too much for her."

Hotaru looked uneasily at the queen; As much as she cared for Chibi-Usa, the word of the queen was final.

"Very well," she reluctantly agreed, "I shall do as you request."

* * *

Yamiko had spent the entirety of last evening doing nothing but trying to forget. As much as her anti-depressants helped, they couldn't banish the eerie quiet and loneliness of the house or keep her from worrying about what lay ahead. Even worse, she hadn't been able to get more than a few hours of sleep that night.

_"You are only postponing the inevitable."_

_Black, slippery mud slid grotesquely against her feet as the still, dark lake lapped at her heels._

_"Do not try to run away."_

_She had to escape the glaive, the ominous ice-white blade of death that approached ever nearer. As she backed away, the water covered her ankles, then her knees... She could feel herself falling over. The blunt end of the staff was pressing against her forehead as she tried futilely to push herself upwards. She could hear the sound of violently splashing water everywhere. But no matter how she moved her body, the pole arm held her face beneath the lake. She was trapped..._

"Hey, look." Yamiko could hear Tokimo behind her; her loud, obnoxious voice had jolted her awake from the images appearing rapidly in her head. Yamiko suddenly realized that she had been leaning against the wall that lined the street, and a loud brushing noise could be heard as her sleeve ran against the rough, sparkling concrete wall. She shook her head as she snapped out of the daydream, ruing that those horrible visions could come to her both awake and asleep. She looked at the sleeve that had brushed along the wall and scowled as she noticed the fabric had been scuffed up, giving it a somewhat fuzzy texture.

"What is it?" Seisui asked. Thankfully, what Tokimo surmised about the Princess being absent appeared to be true, and they had seen no sign of Usako or her guardians that morning. Seisui looked up as Tokimo pointed half-interestedly in front of her; the sight of Yamiko leaning on the concrete wall could visibly be seen.

"What's she doing?" Tokimo asked as Yamiko got off the concrete wall and kept walking normally. "Sleepwalking?"

"I haven't the slightest clue," Seisui admitted. "Maybe... something from yesterday... maybe she's upset." Seisui replied with difficulty, remembering her outburst. It was completely uncalled for, whatever Yamiko had done, Seisui thought guiltily. Whatever hatred Yamiko had for their cause, Seisui decided that Yamiko had not approached Usako in order to humiliate her. And if she was correct in assuming that, Yamiko and Tokimo would be the first people she had ever come to know who didn't have open and tactless contempt for her.

"What did she say to you?" Tokimo asked Seisui protectively. "I saw you crying. What did Yamiko do to make you cry?"

Yamiko frowned and ignored the slight itching to interject in the conversation which, from where she was standing, she could clearly hear.

"She didn't do anything, really..." Seisui replied reluctantly, "She just hit a soft spot."

Yamiko was impressed that someone as sneaky as Seisui had actually told Tokimo the truth of the matter and was even, in an indirect kind of way, defending her.

"Hit a soft spot...? Do you mean, your father..? How did she know?" Tokimo asked.

"Usako told her. Not directly... Yamiko approached her and obviously figured out something was up. But regardless of what she was going to say, Usako accused her of using me before she had hardly said a word. But now that she knows about it..."

"What?!" Tokimo replied in urgency. "Yamiko knows? About you and Usako?"

Seisui nodded reluctantly.

"I suppose it was a bit much to hide it from her... after all, I'm walking around with her in plain sight."

"Well, Yamiko's so dense I would almost expect her not to notice," Tokimo replied matter-of-factly.

Yamiko scowled. It was always the stupidest people who thought they knew exactly what they were talking about. That was the first thing that Yamiko hated about Tokimo.

"Yamiko isn't exactly dense," Seisui replied, "but she is very stubborn. I also don't think she likes to interfere. So maybe she won't say anything. She might be afraid of what might happen to her if she does..."

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Tokimo replied enthusiastically. "Maybe we could threaten her."

Seisui cringed. She was getting herself in deeper and deeper. First it was deceit, now it was threats...

Yamiko was beginning to wonder how Seisui and Tokimo could have possibly thought themselves in the right. Some people believed that 'the ends justify the means;' apparently Seisui and Tokimo thought that even the slimiest and most deceptive methods were appropriate for achieving their ends.

"I..." Seisui paused for a second, unsure of how to respond. Seisui didn't want to threaten Yamiko, but it was imperative that Usako didn't find out that Seisui was deceiving her. Seisui cursed herself; why did she have to think of this plan? She didn't care that she was deceiving Usako. Usako and her family had done far worse harm to her than that; Seisui had been deceived many, many times herself because of the injuries they had inflicted on her and her father. What was painful was being so close to someone you hated, knowing everything so loathsome about her and being unable to say a word, to utter anything against her. Even worse was that Seisui, for the first time in her life, had found someone who sympathized with her; someone, even, who thought she was right. Tokimo was the only support she had, but she almost never had that support available to her.

Tokimo looked at Seisui with a quizzical expression, noticing the pained look on her face.

"What is it, Seisui? Are you sure Yamiko didn't say anything else to you?" she asked worriedly.

"No, Yamiko didn't say anything." Seisui replied quietly. "I'm just... well... I'm tired." she explained, muttering the response half-heartedly.

"Did your nightmares keep you awake...?" Tokimo asked.

"No... not that kind of tired, I guess." Seisui sighed. "I just... I hate Usako. I hate being around her. I hate pretending to be her friend."

Tokimo paused; her expression was becoming uneasier. She had been happy when she initially heard about Seisui's idea; but the plan was supposed to be over in the space of a few hours, not days. And the strain of maintaining Seisui's brilliant scheme was beginning to show itself; Seisui would smile whenever she was near Tokimo, but the minute any Senshi business came up, all the cheering up Tokimo had done was gone without a trace.

"It'll be over soon," Tokimo said, vainly trying to encourage Seisui, "We'll kill Sailor Pinkmoon before the week is out. It hasn't been that long that you've had to pretend, has it? You can hold out for a few more days."

"Yeah..." Seisui replied vaguely. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining. I know that being a Senshi is hard work. It's not my place to complain..."

"Jeeeez!" Tokimo whined, whacking Seisui firmly on the back for what Seisui supposed must have been the third or fourth time in the past couple of days. "Where's all that 'we're gonna beat up the bad guy' spunk? Huh huh?"

So that was what it came to, Yamiko thought bitterly to herself. Today was Tuesday; Tokimo wanted to have Sailor Pinkmoon out of commission by Friday afternoon. It was just as lucky that Japanese schools hadn't been in session on Saturdays for at least 500 years. There were a few situations, however rare, where Yamiko's morality overpowered her desire to avoid conflict of any kind; even she couldn't stand to sit back while Seisui backed the kind, if exceedingly naive, Crown Princess into a corner and murdered her while no one was looking. Yamiko would have to warn her--but finding a situation where she could talk to her alone would be difficult, and Usako's false belief that Yamiko had been using Seisui would just make it that much harder.

"Hey, look," Tokimo observed. "It's Fubuki and her boyfriend."

Sure enough, Fubuki and Jirou had entered the block on which Goban high school lay only a few feet ahead of Yamiko. Fubuki was nonchalantly running her fingers along the concrete wall.

"Hiho!" Tokimo shouted as she approached the school block, waving her hand animatedly. "What's up?"

Fubuki looked a little impatiently toward Tokimo as she stopped by the wall next to the sidewalk across the street. She glanced at Jirou and told him something--Tokimo and Seisui were too far away to hear it.

"Who is that?" Seisui asked in perplexity. "Do you know her? She doesn't look like... well, she doesn't look like what I would have imagined as one of your friends."

"Huh? Oh, no. That's Fubuki. And she's not my friend; not yet, anyway. I don't have any other friends, besides you. Don't you think I would have introduced you if I had?"

Seisui raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't have any other friends? Not even on Shiawaumi?"

"Huh? Oh. Well... I had two or three, I think. Almost everyone I meet is so stingy and annoying. Most people I don't even wanna be friends with. Like Yamiko, for instance." Tokimo scowled.

Yamiko overheard this part of the conversation with interest; she had not suspected Tokimo, of all people, to have very few friends. Upon hearing the truth, however, Yamiko was surprised she hadn't expected it; after all, Tokimo was the most annoying person that Yamiko could have imagined.

"Oh..." Seisui replied, her voice becoming more subdued. "But how do you know Fubuki?"

"She's a Moon Senshi," Tokimo informed her, "I found her yesterday, hanging out with that weird spiky haired guy. She's too much like those other grumpy dumps," Tokimo explained in annoyance, "But at least she hates Queen Serenity, like any smart person." Tokimo emphasized, inclining her head toward Yamiko. Yamiko just tried to pretend she hadn't heard.

"Oh," Seisui said.

"Anyway, she seems real seedy." Tokimo replied matter-of-factly. "But I don't think any flowers are gonna sprout out of her, that's for sure."

"Uh... right," Seisui replied.

Fubuki and Jirou stood up from their resting place against the concrete wall as Tokimo and Seisui walked toward them; Fubuki gave a somewhat suspicious sideways glance to Yamiko, and Yamiko could feel herself shrinking underneath the anger behind Fubuki's gaze. Yamiko was just as glad that Fubuki waited behind as Yamiko walked past.

"You're slow," Fubuki observed as Seisui and Tokimo stepped onto the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

"We don't have to be in a hurry," Tokimo replied huffily. "Especially not to get to school."

"Whatever." Fubuki snapped in response. "Anyway, who's the girl? Is that the one you were talking about?" Fubuki asked, inclining her head slightly toward Seisui. Seisui shrunk back slightly; the harsh look in Fubuki's eyes was not exactly an invitation to get to know her better.

"Yeah, this is Seisui," Tokimo explained, patting Seisui on the head.

"Isn't she supposed to be tricking the pink freak?" Fubuki asked suspiciously. "Won't it be a giveaway if she's hanging around you?"

"Usako's absent," Seisui explained timidly. Fubuki's hostile attitude made cowering in a corner suddenly seem like an inviting prospect.

"Hmph. Well, it works well enough. Seisui, huh?" Fubuki looked over Seisui for a moment, which only prompted Seisui to cower even more. Then Fubuki looked back toward Jirou, who had been observing the conversation with interest.

"Decided to change your mind about all of this Senshi crap?" Jirou asked in an unconvinced tone.

"We'll see," Fubuki tersely replied. "Do you people really have any kind of plan?"

"Nope." Tokimo replied. "But we're hoping Sailor Pinkmoon will be out of commission before the week is out."

"Sailor Pinkmoon..." Jirou repeated scathingly. "What a loser name."

"I think it comes from her crystal," Seisui explained quietly, "Which changed forms when she inherited it from her mother."

"I don't care where the fuck the name comes from," Jirou snapped at her in annoyance, "I just think it's lame."

Seisui bowed down her head in shame, regretting her attempt to be informative.

"Hey!" Tokimo responded in anger.

Jirou, who had been walking in front of her, turned around and faced Tokimo as a half-amused expression crossed his face. "Yeah?"

Tokimo's rather terse comeback was a kick in the groin.

"Tokimo!" Kouken's backpack-muffled voice exclaimed. "What are you doing?!" Tokimo's sudden movement had jostled him violently inside of the small, stuffy space of the bag.

"You mean," Fubuki began angrily, "what the _fuck_ are you doing."

Fubuki moved forward and held up a warning fist as Jirou stood up again, almost as embarrassed as he was in pain. He was gonna rip up that little bitch for taking a cheap-shot like that...

Tokimo responded by taking a karate stance, thanking the leader of her dojo back at Shiawaumi for teaching her how to kick ass, Tokimo-style.

"Tokimo," Seisui interrupted, "please don't fight. If only because it'll make me late..."

"Who cares about school!" Tokimo responded. "Did you hear what that skeezy punk said to you?"

"Your little cram school whore was just trying to be a smart-ass," Fubuki hissed. "She deserved it."

Tokimo lifted up her fist to throw another punch. Seisui dove at Tokimo's arm, trying to avoid further conflicts among the Moon Senshi, and ended up getting flown into Fubuki along with Tokimo's fist. Seisui and Fubuki fell down and slid back a couple of feet against the crystalline pavement, Fubuki's skirt making a loud scuffing noise as it slid against the rough, crystalline pavement of the sidewalk.

Fubuki immediately threw Seisui off of her and onto the other half of the pavement; then she got up herself and looked down at Seisui as if she were restraining the desire to kill her.

"You little bitch!" she hissed.

With Seisui on the ground and Kouken well restrained, there was nothing to hold Tokimo back. She was just deciding that a kick square in the guts would be the best way to throw Fubuki back on the ground when Jirou punched her violently against the head. This sent her flying into Fubuki, who barely managed to resist falling over again as she pushed Tokimo forward and back toward Jirou. He was just about to deliver another punch, this time to the stomach, when Seisui embraced his mid-section and held him close to her, trying desperately to restrain him.

"Please don't hurt Tokimo!" She implored him, realizing that however talented Tokimo might be, there was no way she was going to win in a match of what appeared to be two rather seasoned street fighters against a single high school freshman.

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" Jirou hissed, pulling Seisui's arms off his stomach and throwing her into the wall. Tokimo took the opportunity to resume her fighting stance. Seisui leaped toward Tokimo and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Tokimo," she pleaded, "Come on, let's go to class. There's only five minutes until the bell rings."

Tokimo was about to shake Seisui away; after all, kicking someone's ass when they insulted the only cool person that went to Goban High was a lot more important than Erik's first period English class. But Tokimo finally decided that continuing the fight would probably only make Seisui even more upset. Tokimo scowled at Fubuki and Jirou as she made a personal promise to kick their ass later; then she ran, Seisui in tow, toward Goban High School.

* * *

Tokimo bit into her tuna fish sandwich with a fervor few growing boys dreamed of. Seisui, however, suspected that Tokimo's aggressive eating habits were fueled not by hunger, but by anger.

"Tokimo..." Seisui began timidly, watching as Tokimo chugged down half of her canteen of green tea, "Maybe eating that fast... well, maybe you shouldn't eat like that."

"I can't believe that... that... Fubitchy!" Tokimo scowled, slamming her fist on the armrest of the crystalline bench she was seated on. "Her and her stupid boyfriend! I shoulda transformed and beat the crap outta those two losers!"

Seisui felt a swell of self-worth at Tokimo's willingness to protect her so fiercely against Fubuki. It didn't hurt Seisui's mood that Tokimo had decided to eat in the park that day, where Seisui could join her friend instead of being forced to endure Usako's company. Besides, Seisui had only bad memories of eating in school lunch yards. She remembered often wishing that school still had the short lunch periods that her father had told her existed almost a thousand years ago; although Seisui could escape other people's harassment during class time, lunch was one time when she was still vulnerable. Sitting and eating with Tokimo, if not exactly peaceful, was still far more cheerful--even though Tokimo's mood was hardly at it's sunniest.

"Don't let people give you that stupid crap, Seisui! If that little slacker punk gives you any more shit, give 'im one right in the kisser!" she continued. "Not that anyone would want to kiss his slimy frog lips! Eeeew!" she added with disgusted enthusiasm.

"I honestly can't believe you, Tokimo," Kouken whined as he grabbed a slice of cucumber from Tokimo's lunch and ate it wholeheartedly, "You blew what was probably our last chance to have an ally. You can't even keep a Senshi for more than a day!"

"It was three days, thank you very much!" Tokimo responded. "And anyway, we don't need her. Yamiko was nothing but a grumpy dump anyway, and she'd made up her mind as soon as you told her about your plans."

"That has nothing to do with the topic at hand!" Kouken scolded. "The point here is, Fubuki would still be very much in league with us, if a little on the cynical side, if you hadn't decided to kick her boyfriend!"

"He deserved it!" Tokimo snapped in reply. "Do we really want allies that are going to be insulting us? He was being mean to Seisui!"

"Seisui is capable of taking care of herself," Kouken hissed. "She doesn't need you to go around being her mother. I'm sure she didn't take it personally!"

Tokimo barely restrained the desire to throw Kouken across the street and into the window of the candy store. But, she decided, he might fly through the window and ruin the candy.

"What do you mean, she didn't take it personally? What do you mean, she can take care of herself!" Tokimo shouted. "You didn't see the look on Seisui's face! She took what Jirou said straight to heart! 'Taking care of herself?' Seisui was the one lying on the floor and taking the abuse when she was trying to break up the fight! What do you mean she can take care of herself!"

"If you didn't listen to her," Kouken hissed, "maybe it's your fault that Seisui took the abuse in the first place."

Tokimo paused for a moment, an uneasy expression crossing her face.

"Tokimo was just trying to protect me," Seisui interjected, "Please don't try to lay the responsibility on her."

"If I lay the responsibility on her, it's only because it's her responsibility!" he replied defensively.

"It's not Tokimo's responsibility if other people choose to interpret my words one way or another," Seisui replied, "And with the attitude that Fubuki was taking, it was doubtful whether she would have joined us for any indefinite period of time, anyway. She seemed the sort of person that would change her mind on a whim."

"Yeah!" Tokimo argreed. "Fubitchy would have been a crappy Senshi, anyway."

"It seems hypocritical to criticize Fubuki for being capricious," Kouken replied through his teeth. "As that is often a fault of your own. You're far too impulsive! How do you expect to be a Senshi if you just cavort around doing whatever you feel like?"

"Tokimo isn't capricious," Seisui replied, "If she was capricious, she would change her mind frequently... something which Tokimo almost never does. Quite the opposite, actually," Seisui said mildly, remembering Tokimo's excessive stubbornness.

"That wasn't the point," Kouken snapped. "The point is, Tokimo, you're much too bossy and inconsiderate. Try to shut up once and awhile and let me do the talking."

"Tokimo isn't inconsiderate!" Seisui replied, fervent. "Tokimo is... Tokimo's the only one who's ever thought about my feelings," she added more quietly.

"Regardless," Kouken began, trying to subdue his anger, "After Seisui's little adventure, things might get a little more complicated." He looked somewhat warningly at Seisui; yesterday had been a bit of a traumatic experience for her. He had been reluctant to say anything, even though he heard Seisui relate the entire story to Tokimo last evening. The problem, however, could not be ignored forever. "It doesn't seem unlikely that even Seisui herself will come into suspicion now. Previously, Usako was blinded by personal affection, and that kept her from suspecting Seisui. But I'm sure that the Sailor Senshi will not have the same biases. Seisui may be the downfall of us all." He concluded, looking at Seisui with a severe expression. Seisui blushed intensely and looked downwards, nibbling on her white rice ashamedly.

"Seisui won't be the downfall of anything, except that stupid bunny!" Tokimo interjected. "Stop trying to make Seisui feel bad. There's no point in being depressing and making her feel guilty, even if you are right. And you're not--because I know we'll figure out something! I'll beat up that bunny if I have to show up at the castle myself!"

"I'm surprised you haven't tried that yet, knowing you, Tokimo." Kouken replied in annoyance. "Anyway, Seisui... I don't suppose you thought of any more ideas for trying to isolate Usako?"

"No..." Seisui replied, her voice now diminished to nearly a whisper, "I had other things on my mind. Yesterday was hard for me."

"Yeah, get off Seisui's case!" Tokimo interjected. "She can't do everything for you. Seisui went through a lot of trouble. She had to deal with Usako, and her stupid Senshi buddies, and even the ditzy queen. You can't expect her to be thinking about Sailor Pinkmoon right now!"

"I would think, if anything, yesterday's problems would prompt even more thought on her part," Kouken responded. "But Sailor Pinkmoon isn't around today anyway, so we won't worry about that just yet."

"Good," Tokimo responded in vexation. "Now shut up so me and Seisui can talk without having to listen to your stupidity."

Kouken just ate another cucumber and prayed that the inspiration for some sneaky, embarrassing kind of revenge would come to him.

* * *

"What a bunch of freaks," Jirou spat in annoyance. His torn up sneakers and ragged pants were beginning to attract stares. He had to suppress the desire to break a nearby window as he and Fubuki walked into the "quality" section of town. The looks they got from the upper class walking down the street next to their meticulously cared for gardens--by servants, of course--were enough to make Jirou sick.

"You say that every time you walk me home," Fubuki observed apathetically. "I'm surprised you haven't got sick of saying it."

"Not the money whores," Jirou replied, "Those Senshi freaks. They're as bad as Little Miss Pink Prissy Ass."

"Oh..." Fubuki sighed, "I don't know if they're that bad. At least they want to kill Serenity."

"What're you gonna do with that brooch?" Jirou asked, somewhat bemusedly.

"I dunno," Fubuki replied, pulling out the large, elaborate piece of jewelry and inspecting it nonchalantly. "I hate to throw it away." She smirked slightly. "You never know when something like this might come in handy."

"What are you planning...?" Jirou asked a little uneasily. "If you start smiling, there's definitely something goin' on."

Fubuki threw the locket up into the air and caught it.

"Heh. No one will know who I am, right? Might as well have a good time with this thing."

"Just what exactly are you planning...?" Jirou asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've had just about enough of that goddamn church and their hymns," Fubuki hissed. "Maybe I can create a little delay on before I have to hear their sermons again. You know... reconstruction time."

"You aren't seriously planning--"

"I really think that the Queen Serenity statuary could use a face-lift." Fubuki replied knowingly.

"Honestly, Fubuki..." Jirou interrupted, a minute hint of concern in his voice, "You can't be serious." He stood in front of her; Fubuki frowned slightly and an irate look crossed her face.

"Why not?" she queried.

"Because it's fuckin' crazy, that's why!" he retorted, emphatically shaking a fist. "What if someone found out? Who knows what'd happen!"

"No one will find out," Fubuki responded, "No one knows I'm Sailor... Sailor..."

"Fuckin' Mother Serenity!" Jirou exclaimed. "You don't even know what Senshi you are, goddammit!"

"That stupid dumbass said it'd come to me!" she retorted.

"What the hell is wrong with you Fubuki? I thought for sure you'd be beyond this insanity!"

"Because I'm sick of being my mother's goddamn toy!" she screamed, annoyed at herself for being so close to tears. "I'm sick of being at her disposal!"

"Bringing down some fuckin' church isn't gonna change anything! You know that, Fubuki! You know she'll just find another church," he explained, pausing to take in a breath, "And hell, if you broke apart every statue in the world, she'd make you worship some damn wax doll at home!"

"How do you know what my mother would do? Is she your mother?" Fubuki asked in frustration.

"I know what your mother would do because I know that she's some money-minded bitch who's greatest love for you is how good you make her look every Sunday at church!"

"If that were true, she just wouldn't bring me!" Fubuki replied in malice.

"Yeah, okay. I'm sure it would make your mom look real good if she didn't even take her daughter to her loser church." Jirou replied sarcastically.

"Probably better than taking me with her!"

"Yeah, whatever. If you ask me, the broad obviously doesn't love you."

Fubuki had trouble restraining a slap; she usually appreciated Jirou's willingness to be up front, but sometimes it was just blind insensitivity.

"This isn't about my mom!" she blurted out, trying to end the argument.

"Of course it's about your mom! Isn't that why you're doing this in the first place?" He asked her. He knew that the argument had reached a standstill, but he just couldn't stop himself from defending what he knew to be true.

"Shut up!" Fubuki screamed. "Just _shut up_!" She breathed for a few seconds, struggling to maintain control over herself. "I'll do what I please. I'll go trash that dump if I want to. And even if my mom still makes me go, it might mean a vacation. It might mean one more thing for her to suffer for, for all the things she's done that I know Dad would never, never have approved of!"

"You didn't know your father more than five years, and that's including the time before you knew a truck from a bicycle," He told her. He was beginning to become fed-up with her own self-assurance. "You don't know what the hell your father thought! Not more than a few sentences. And most of those weren't exactly optimistic words for the future."

"I'm going home now," Fubuki replied obstinately, stopping along the sidewalk. "Alone. I'm sick of listening to this."

"Whatever happened to telling me your feelings?" Jirou asked. Both derision and disappointment surfaced in his tone. He was angry at her, but just as unhappy to be fighting at all. "Huh?"

"What reason do I have to tell you how I feel when all you do is ridicule me?" Fubuki asked him. "I could bring up a lot of things about your family, but I haven't said a word."

Jirou paused for a moment, and an uneasy silence passed between them. Each of them felt something that was a mixture of love and resentment toward the other, and an implied feeling of both understanding and extreme hatred followed.

"Fuck this," Jirou finally said, turning around and heading for the seedier district of town. "Fuck this, I'm going home."

"What do you think you're going home to?" Fubuki shouted in anger as he left.

* * *

Fubuki couldn't help scowling as she walked up the marble steps and into the gold-leafed entranceway of her mother's mansion. She threw her dusty backpack viciously onto the nearest carpet, praying that it had left a nice big streak of dirt. She could hear the footsteps of her Nana coming down the hall; she didn't care what she had to say.

"Where's Jirou..?" she asked, alarmed at his absence. No matter how much her boss disliked Jirou, she usually turned a blind eye to his frequent visits as there was little else to give Fubuki cheer.

"He went home," Fubuki replied bluntly.

"Are you okay? You look worse than usual," she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Michito! Leave me alone. I've just...I've got a lot of homework," She hastily explained.

"Fubuki, we both know you--"

Fubuki glanced at her briefly; a warning look crossed her face and she tromped upstairs before Michito had even finished her sentence.

* * *

"Fuck it," Fubuki hissed as she lay down on the bed, thankful to be out of her wretched school uniform and inside her beloved trench. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the bedside clock. Her mother had gotten her one for her birthday, one of those fancy ones where you could wake up to music or one of five different alarms. Just to spite her, Jirou had bought Fubuki a plain analog alarm clock, which usually cost about 500 yen apiece. Nowadays, most people only bought analog clocks as a novelty, and it was the old-fashioned one that Fubuki had kept. They had smashed the one her mother gave her apart and thrown it in a dumpster.

"Damn it all!" she sobbed, throwing the alarm clock across the room and into her wall. "If I hadn't been a senshi, this never would have happened! If my goddamn son-of-a-bitch father hadn't died, I never would have met Jirou! If Serenity hadn't kept the ban on guns, he never would have died, that mother fuckin' bitch!" She threw the pillow across the room and into a wall clock, its glass cover long since shattered from her many other outbreaks. "It's all her fault!"

Fubuki finished her rant by punching her bedroom wall, which already had several dents in it and a couple of streaks of blood.

"I just want to be free!" she sobbed, her voice muffled by her sheets as she lay face down on her bed. "I want to get out of this."

A few moments went by; she must not have ruined the alarm clock, as she could still faintly hear it ticking.

"I have every right..." she assured herself, pulling up her head and looking at her locket. She still had it clenched firmly in one hand.

"I have every right to do this!" Fubuki affirmed, getting out of her bed.

* * *

Fubuki stood and regarded the Church of Serenity. She took in the sight of its massive statues of each of the Queen's four Sailor Guardians and the great Sailor Warriors of the outer planets. Their handsomely chiseled marble features made each of them look equally beautiful and exactly the same; the ideal images of the gods, who protected mortals in the path to self-actualization that each graceful goddess and god had already achieved. Fubuki wondered how much the great marble statues had cost; how many poor families in the squalid part of the district it could have afforded designer clothing and escape from the agonizing, if physically harmless, feeling of hunger. The huge crystal obelisk of the church stretched gracefully into the sky, and a sparkling, platinum crescent moon stood at its peak. The image of grandeur was before her.

Fubuki would enjoy smashing that grandeur to pieces.

But first, Fubuki thought, she ought to scare off the residential priest before he caught himself in a rather uncomfortable situation. Killing him, she decided, was a little bit unkind; and besides, she couldn't let him see what she was doing. If he stuck around to see that there was a Rebel Senshi in his church, the royals themselves might even show up, and that was one battle Fubuki knew she could not win. So she pushed apart the great wooden doors, intricately carved with the scriptures of the church, and walked past the elaborate and comfortable pews. At the head of the church, behind the stand on which the priest read his sermons, was the Holy Queen herself--carved in pure opal on a marble pedestal. Intricately carved robe-like garments covered her, along with delicate pearls; the robes, Fubuki had always believed, were something far more modest than anything the slutty queen would have worn. Fubuki turned away from the opal statue; its value was something she didn't even care to think of. She certainly knew that no one was ever allowed to touch the glittering wonder. The reason that it was made of such a soft stone, she had been told, was to symbolize the delicate holiness of the queen. Fubuki had decided long ago that it was because her church wanted to flaunt the fact that the richest people in Tokyo were most of the regular attendants. Either that, or that they were stupid enough to make a huge statue out of opal.

She walked past the statue and toward the back door--which was as gaudy as the rest of the building--and swung open the door into the hall where the offices were located. She knocked impatiently on the head priests' door. He not only stayed in the church after hours, but actually lived there. Fubuki was surprised he hadn't gone blind, with all the sparkling metal and polished stone in the church.

"Come in," a deep, resounding voice responded as Fubuki swung open the door and slammed it into the marble wall parallel to her. The Priest cringed, as Fubuki hoped he would; the doorknob had certainly left a scratch . That wouldn't be the only scratch, Fubuki thought as she smiled with pleasure.

"Fubuki..." he murmured in surprise. "Fubuki, why have you come? Are you here to repent? I am willing to hear your troubles and advise you."

"Shut up with the recycled religious tripe," Fubuki hissed, "Far more churches than yours have memorized those overused words."

The Priest looked a little disappointed. "What, then, have you come for...?" he asked, trying to sound empathetic.

"I've come to tell you to get your ass out of here, before your guts are spilling across your beloved statues," Fubuki told him with unconcerned bluntness. "A rival of mine is gonna trash up the place, and I don't think you'd wanna be in his way when he does."

"If a troubled young man comes into the church, that is all the more reason for me to be here," he responded, his voice full of what Fubuki thought must have been insincere compassion. "Perhaps there is a chance I could heal his wounded soul."

"You don't like me or anyone like me," Fubuki responded, beginning to tire of his pretentious moral righteousness. "If you want to die, stick around by all means. I'm sure your beautiful and mighty queen will come and save you," Fubuki added, her words drenched in derision.

"It has often been like this between us, Fubuki," he said regrettably, "And I wish you could feel the love the Queen offers everyone on this earth. There is nothing more accepting, beautiful and kind than her majesty, the protector of us all, and I often think how much happier you would be if you could understand that she could not feel anything but acceptance and forgiveness for you."

"Well, I often think how incredibly delusional you must be," Fubuki replied mockingly. "How can you be so unrealistic? No real human can be so accepting! The Queen has hated... she must have! How can a feeling every human knows so strongly be unknown to anyone?"

"We can destroy all feelings of anger and anguish, if we simply look to the light of her majesty," He responded.

"Yeah, whatever the hell you wanna believe. I'm leaving; if you want your pure, righteous guts spilled across the marble floor, that's no business of mine," she told him. "Have a nice day, won't you?" Fubuki added sardonically, walking out the door.

* * *

Yamiko's dislike of homework rivaled that of few girls her age. Most Japanese teenagers realized that no matter how horrendous and time-consuming the process was, getting into a good college, and inevitably, job, was unlikely without doing it. Yamiko, however, didn't let homework stop her from enjoying the time that she had, however little enjoyment she usually got out of it. So, as had been her usual custom, her homework sat in her bag while she sat somewhat irritably at her desk, reading a battered copy of "Hamlet."

The sliding door of her balcony was open; Yamiko, though frail, was not beyond a fresh breeze now and again. She was just getting to Act II when she could hear the faint sound of clinking outside.

Yamiko looked up from her book; the fact that she was alone, something normally familiar and perfectly comfortable to her, was suddenly alarming and frightening. Then she shook her head and kept reading; it was probably the platinum railings on someone else's balcony just clinking loosely in their shining, concrete floor.

She fidgeted nervously as she heard the increasingly loud clinking noises again. She froze; closing the door probably wasn't a bad idea. At least she wouldn't have to hear the noise, she thought. She forced herself up from the chair nervously and approached the door, reaching her hand out slowly to close it and trying not to look outside.

"Good evening." A deep, purposeful voice greeted her.

"Who's there?" Yamiko asked fearfully, still looking downwards.

"If you were looking at me, instead of the floor, I think that would become quite obvious."

Yamiko looked upward and felt a little relieved when she realized it was the Crimson Eagle, staring at her with an expectant expression.

"What are you doing here?" Yamiko demanded; then thinking better of her question, "More importantly, how did you know where I live? If you're here, you must know who I am! How did you know I was Sailor Phoebe?"

"I don't know," he replied.

"What you're doing here or how you knew who I am?"

"Either. Well, not exactly," he amended. "I know that I'm here because there is danger, and you and I are a team. As to where you lived or who you were; I simply began walking. I led myself to you."

Yamiko raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Where is there danger?" she asked, deciding that she needed a reason before she was going to risk her skin for the moral principles of someone who 'led themselves' randomly to her balcony.

"Another Moon Senshi has appeared. She is going to destroy something."

"Destroy something? What?"

"I do not know. I can only vaguely tell that she has ill intentions."

"Wait. What? What are you going on about?" Yamiko asked, confused.

"I can sense the sadness and anger of those senshi nearby me," he replied. "That is how I know they are in conflict."

"I suppose that was how you found me," Yamiko replied, humoring the Crimson Eagle.

"I imagine it was," he replied irreverently. "You certainly show no lack of negative feeling."

"You talk like an old man," Yamiko replied, deciding not to comment on his insult in favor of changing the subject.

He laughed this time; it was a mocking laugh, and Yamiko felt a ping of anger as she considered the impudence of his open disdain toward her.

"I suppose I do," he replied. "But enough of this. Time grows shorter and I fear what may be amiss. I would appreciate your help, if you are willing to give it."

"And what if I'm not?" Yamiko replied indignantly.

"Then it appears to me," he began, "That you enjoy forming a righteous opinion and doing nothing at all to further its realization."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"Exactly what I said."

"What if I just don't like running off with some freak I don't even know?"

"As I said before."

"What do you mean?" she replied, irritated at his vagueness.

"That you enjoy forming opinions and sitting at home, thinking about how righteous you are."

"I do not!"

"Then you will accompany me...?" he asked her, holding out a gloved hand.

"I can't even see your face," Yamiko protested.

"There is little I can do about that. It is against the code, you see."

"The code...?" She asked suspiciously.

"The code of Knights."

Yamiko paused for a moment; she seemed to remember Kouken discussing this before. He hadn't said anything about wearing masks, though.

"Will you accompany me? I have little time to waste trying to convince you to do the right thing. Or will you sit at home professing something but doing nothing to uphold it...?"

"I'll go with you," Yamiko snapped. "If just to make you stop insulting me." She really didn't want to accompany him; but, she supposed, someone had to stop Tokimo and Seisui from screwing things up too badly.

"Very well," he replied.

"How did you get here, anyway...?" Yamiko asked him critically, pondering the idea of such a conspicuous man going up the elevator.

"It's only four stories up," he responded casually, "I climbed."

Yamiko raised her eyebrows. "Right. Whatever."

"If you will be so kind as to transform..." he trailed off, turning around out of politeness.

Yamiko begrudgingly pulled out her transformation brooch, all the while slightly nervous that this weird pervert might try to peek; the transformation was extremely quick, but a well-trained eye might know where to look when. After checking to see that The Crimson Eagle was thoroughly facing the opposite direction, she held up her brooch and transformed, trying to say the phrase as quietly as humanly possible.

"Are you finished?" He asked, still facing the opposite direction.

"Yes," she replied. "Now, how do you suggest we get out of here...?"

"We jump, of course," he replied matter-of-factly.

"_Four stories_?" Sailor Phoebe shouted in disbelief. "You'll kill yourself! And me!"

"I've done it thousands of times," he replied confidently. "Now, up you go." He grabbed Sailor Phoebe easily by the waist and lifted her up into his arms.

"Let go of me!" she screamed in fear, struggling vainly against his strength.

"You'll be fine," he assured her, stepping onto the platinum railing and jumping down toward the sidewalk below. Sailor Phoebe closed her eyes in resigned fear, praying that she would pass out before they hit the sidewalk below.

Sailor Phoebe barely had time to scream before a huge clank resounded through the air. She could hear the sound of cloth flapping briefly; then all that could be heard was the somewhat far-off sound of cars and trolleys driving down the streets of Crystal Tokyo.

"Are you alright?" the Crimson Eagle asked her as Sailor Phoebe opened her eyes fearfully. Amazingly, nothing had happened; she was still very much alive and well, except for being scared out of her wits. "You'll be able to stand up, won't you...?" He asked, his voice ever so slightly nervous.

Sailor Phoebe looked up at The Crimson Eagle; he appeared to be perfectly fine, as did she. Sailor Phoebe sighed in relief and nodded a bit uncomfortably as the Crimson Eagle set her delicately on the ground, her knees shaking somewhat violently.

"H-how do you expect me to fight after that?" she replied. "I thought I was going to die..."

"If only for practicality's sake, it would have been unwise for me to kill myself, and you, when we have more important things to attend to. I told you, I've done this many times."

"How is it possible for you to jump that far, in that kind of... clothing, without hurting yourself?" she asked, more than a little amazed despite her distrust of the strange man.

"How is it possible for you to shoot black dragons out of your hand?" he replied.

"Because I'm a Sailor Senshi." Sailor Phoebe responded. "I don't know why exactly, beyond that."

"Well, the same applies for me." he explained. "Those powers were granted to me; why I possess them is beyond me."

"I suppose that makes sense." Sailor Phoebe admitted a bit awkwardly.

"Do you feel well enough to run?" He asked her, noticing that she was somewhat pale.

"Yeah..." Sailor Phoebe nodded. The Crimson Eagle's explanation had made her feel a little more comfortable with the implausibility of what had happened. "I'm not much of a runner, though." She confessed.

"It's not far from here," He assured her, "It's in the same section of town as this, but it's nearer to the mansions than the apartment complexes. Shall we leave?" he asked, turning toward her.

"Yeah." Sailor Phoebe nodded a bit apprehensively.

Of all places, Sailor Phoebe hadn't been planning on going back to that area of town.

* * *

Fubuki knew better than anyone that her church was a place of false appearances. Whatever the priest said, Fubuki was pretty sure what he was likely to do; so she crouched underneath one of the marble pews and waited impatiently for the inevitable.

Sure enough, she noticed with a smile, within a few minutes the Priest was nervously looking out his door. He paused in front of the great Statue of Serenity for a moment, whispering a prayer. Probably for forgiveness, Fubuki thought with a scowl. Then he gave another nervous glance as he ran out the door, his white robes trailing ever so slightly behind him. After he had left, Fubuki got out from underneath the pews and stood in front of the Queen's grand, opal statue, cracking her knuckles in satisfaction. Then she reached inside her pocket and pulled out the green and black locket that Kouken had given her just the day before.

"Miranda prism power, make up!" she cried as the words of her transformation phrase appeared in her mind and she transformed into Sailor Miranda.

"I can't wait until my mom finds out." She grinned.

Sailor Miranda felt like she was at the candy store; there were so many things that she wanted to do, she just couldn't decide. The first order of business, however, was decidedly the opal statue. That goddamn thing had been staring down at her since she was six; and it was about time she showed the queen what she thought of her sugary moral goodness.

"Arctic blades!" she shouted. A blizzard of snow and ice came spiraling from her hands as two huge, circular saw blades ran across the marble floor, leaving gaping fissures in their finely polished surface. Then the blades zoomed up toward the statue of Serenity in a storm of cold fury; the opal statue was sawed neatly into three pieces. Each gigantic chunk of the opal statue fell onto broad, flat surface of the shining marble floor and shattered into dozens of small, glittering pieces. Sailor Miranda, propelled by her increasing feelings of victory and triumph, picked up one of the broken pieces of opal and threw it into the back wall. The stone smashed into sparkling shards; Sailor Miranda watched them gleam through the light of the huge, stained glass windows. In each great window was the image of a Sailor Senshi, staring down at her in judgment. Well, they would be easy enough to get rid of.

Sailor Miranda raised her hands again and repeated the attack; this time, the blades shattered through two of the great windows, destroying the stern look of Sailor Uranus and the observant stare of Sailor Saturn. Glass flew everywhere as the windows shattered; one of the fragments flew back at Sailor Miranda and made a gash in her arm. "What the fuck?!" she exclaimed, wondering how the glass had been propelled forward. She turned around to see where the shard had landed. "An iron ring?" she said, noticing the cold circlet and picking it up in confusion. "Where the hell…?"

"Why do you desecrate what others regard as holy, however incorrect?" The voice of The Crimson Eagle queried. His dark, imposing silhouette appeared in the shattered window alongside Sailor Phoebe's slender frame.

"Who the fuck are you?" Sailor Miranda scowled, throwing the iron ring back toward The Crimson Eagle. The ring, badly aimed, bounced off the marble wall to the left of the window and clanged on the floor.

"I must congratulate you," he replied unemotionally, "You have the most abhorrent language of any Moon Senshi thus far."

"What the hell do you care? Why the fuck are you interfering?" she retorted, holding up a hand threateningly. "I'm a senshi, you know, and if you think I'm afraid of some goddamn prick who throws fruit loops--"

The Crimson Eagle picked up Sailor Phoebe and jumped down from the window, landing a good ten feet down onto the gleaming marble floor. Sailor Miranda watched with awed interest as he gently set down Sailor Phoebe; she stayed where he had set her, looking disapprovingly toward Sailor Miranda from a fairly safe distance. Sailor Miranda already wanted to spill that freak's guts. The Crimson Eagle continued to approach her, unsheathing his sharp, gleaming katana and holding it toward Miranda threateningly.

"I am unaware of who you are or for what purpose you have chosen to vandalize a building," he began, "as it seems to have no practical or justified purpose, except to satisfy whatever bloodthirsty urges you are currently entertaining. However, it is my strong advice that you leave immediately, for fear of provoking any further injury to yourself."

"You sound like a fucking textbook," Fubuki replied. "Anyway, I'm not interested in hearing your bullshit. Fuck off before I beat the shit out of you."

"Shadow dragon!" Sailor Phoebe cried as a huge, black dragon launched toward Sailor Miranda. The great, dark creature tore off one of Sailor Miranda's sleeves and left a large, red gash in her shoulder.

"Do not attack so readily," the Crimson Eagle warned Sailor Phoebe.

"If the best argument she can come up with is 'you sound like a goddamn textbook,' I really have nothing against attacking her," Sailor Phoebe replied in annoyance. "I've had enough of people who fight without good reasons."

"Then you judge as quickly as you attack. You don't even know her true motives yet," he responded. "Tell me, Miranda, what are your reasons for doing this...?"

"Stay outta my goddamn business," she snapped, "My reasons are my own!"

"Since you refuse to expound them, I can only assume they are weak. Therefore, I must insist you cease," he replied.

"Fuck. You," she replied, holding out her hands. "Arctic blades!" she shouted as another pair of snow and ice saws spun toward The Crimson Eagle. He moved off to the side, his cape trailing behind him; the saws ripped through his cape and kept moving forward, rushing up against a marble wall and making a huge crack in the stone of the church.

"Well? What are you going to do?" Sailor Phoebe asked somewhat indignantly. "Are you just going to stand there and dodge her attacks all night?"

The Crimson Eagle ignored the question; Sailor Phoebe raised her hands again in preparation.

"Shadow dragon!" she shouted as another great dragon went hurtling toward Sailor Miranda.

The dragon flew toward Sailor Miranda; it almost appeared to Sailor Phoebe that it had gone right through Miranda and disintegrated. Apparently, though, the dragon had done something, since Sailor Miranda was now unconscious, her silent form lying peacefully on the ground. The sight made Yamiko uneasy; even in sleep, a look of watchful contempt fell across her face. The Crimson Eagle picked her up gently.

"What are you going to do with her?" Phoebe asked him, her voice somewhat disquieted. "I think she's better off right where she is."

The unconscious form of Sailor Miranda was suddenly enveloped in light. The light soon dispersed and the limp form of an older adolescent replaced it, a huge black trench coat falling around her.

"It's her!" Sailor Phoebe exclaimed. "That girl... the one that was staring at me. I wonder if Charon and Titan planned this...?" she asked a bit disgustedly.

"Unlikely," the Crimson Eagle replied, "Unjust as they may be, they are very focused in their goals. What reason would they have for destroying an innocent church? No, I believe this was her own doing; perhaps some personal hatred."

"Did my attack do that...?" Sailor Phoebe asked. "I didn't think it knocked people out..." she added in puzzlement.

"No," he responded, "Your attack only served as an excellent distraction while I knocked her out from behind."

"I see. What are you going to do with her?"

"Leave her here," he informed her. "I do not know where she lives, and I'm sure that the people who attend this church will know who she is." he removed his huge black cloak and wrapped it gently around her before setting her down on one of the marble pews

Sailor Phoebe smirked. She only wished she could see what would happen the next day when they found her lying amongst the rubble of the church.

"Thank you for your help," he replied, bowing lightly in front of her. "Even though it was unwilling."

Sailor Phoebe wasn't sure if that was a rather discreet insult or not; she decided that either way, a cold nod would probably be the best response.

"Very well, then." Turning around and walking through the huge marble doors, he left Sailor Phoebe behind to ponder the strangeness of what had happened that evening.

"Why did I have to get myself into this...?" she said with a sigh, glancing at the ruins of the church and walking irritably back toward home.

* * *

_Prodosia looked downwards._

_The face of the cliff loomed ominously beneath her; Prodosia had not been afraid of it since she was a little girl. But now, as she looked at the Black Water's woeful swirling, she could barely move forward._

_She would not be slaughtered. She would end this on her own._

_Prodosia's feet stepped forward, off the sheer rock face, and she could feel herself falling..._

Seisui's eyes snapped open. The commanding buzz of her alarm clock resounded through the bedroom; she had never felt so unwilling to go to school before. Another school day meant another day of pretending, of putting up with Usako, something she detested more than anything else. But, she thought resignedly as she turned off the obnoxious tolling, that was the way of things. This was her duty, and there was no escaping it.

Seisui put on her uniform, meticulously knotting the pink tie on the front. The house was quiet; her mother and father had both left for work, and her sister's school started an hour earlier. All that could be heard as she entered her grungy, cheaply-built kitchen was the tinkling of a chime outside.

Seisui put two slices of bread in the toaster microwave. Then she walked over to her dining room table and pulled out a plastic chair, nonchalantly glancing at the paper as she did so.

"This is..." Seisui murmured in shock as she looked at the front page, "This is.. not possible!"

She sat down and covered her face with her hands. This was a dream. A dream...

"Impossible... impossible... impossible!" she mumbled in shock, trying to deny the reality.

She pulled her hands off of her face and slapped herself. The pain she felt was real; she looked down at the headline again, trying to will it out of existence.

No, still there, she thought frantically. Still there, in bold print, across the front page...

"Why?" she asked herself, devastated. "Why can't this be a dream...?"

_EPISODE FOUR: FIN_

* * *

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Seisui: **I cannot run away.

**Tokimo:** There is no longer any escape for Seisui. The rumors fly, and everyone is mean to her! Usako has no courage to fight on her own... how can Kouken expect me not to interfere with Seisui's plans when I know how they make her suffer?

**Yamiko:** Seisui has only brought this upon herself. And yet, when I watch her, I am reminded of my own struggles...

**Fubuki: **I do not want the help of those I despise. But I have nothing but enemies, and so I can only hope for the help of those who hate me. However, there is one I am at odds with who I know will never support me...

**Seisui: **Someone... anyone... help me!!

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Messiah of Odium"_

Evil returns to those who create it.

* * *


	5. Episode Five: The Messiah of Odium

A bright, yellow light fell onto Fubuki's face. She opened her eyes groggily; above her, the sun shone amiably through the now-broken window. She could see the purple shards still lodged along the frame of the window that had once been Saturn's small, observant form; she smirked slightly at the sight of the destruction she had caused to the Church of Serenity. There was only one thing that she detested more than that godforsaken church.

"You are awake?" the voice of the priest queried, his hand placed gently on her unwounded shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm awake," she snapped, flinging off his arm in annoyance and sitting up. "My eyes are open, aren't they? What the fuck do you care?"

"I only just found you lying here," he explained, "and I was worried about you. You have quite severe wounds in your arm and shoulder. I think you should go to the hospital."

"I'm fine," she hissed, standing up weakly and brushing herself off. The blood from the wounds the priest had mentioned had seeped through her coat in the night; dull dry splotches could be seen on the black trench coat. As she stood up, Fubuki felt herself stumble slightly and fall back into the marble pew, hitting herself somewhat painfully on the spine.

"Allow me to contact the hospital," the priest told her, "You have lost far too much blood, if you are too weak to stand up."

"I can take care of myself!" Fubuki objected as the priest walked back toward his office. Damn it all. The Crimson Eagle had knocked her out; even worse, that stupid jackass had left her here, just in the right place for the priest to find her. And however much that priest thought he was ahead of her, she knew the bastard would call her bitch of a mother and tell her that it probably had something to do with her warning the night before. And damn it all--after that, who knew how bad her mother's accusations would be, or how far she would go to punish her...?

"The ambulance will be here any moment," the priest called to her assuringly as he reentered the room. Fubuki hurled herself off of the marble pew, lunging toward the priest; she stumbled a few feet toward his feet, and then fell down, her body pleading her to rest.

"Fuck you," Fubuki spat, pulling up her torso and grabbing onto the priest's ankle. "You son of a bitch! You told her--you told that bitch, didn't you?"

"Excuse me," the priest began, trying to ignore Fubuki's abhorrent tongue. "Who are you speaking of?"

"You know who I'm talking about, you religious pimp!" she cried. "My goddamn excuse for a mother! You know!"

"Of course I told your mother," the priest responded. "She will be extremely worried. Someone has to take care of you in this state."

"This state...!" She spat on the marble floor, cutting her sentence off with a frothy glob of saliva. "My state will be a hell of a lot worse once she finds out! Dammit! Damn you!"

"Please, Fubuki," he continued patiently, "Cease all this movement. You cannot afford to expend such energy in this state."

"Son of a bitch," Fubuki murmured, her voice desperate and resigned. "Son of a bitch. Son of a bitch..."

The priest easily moved his ankle out of Fubuki's weakened hand; he walked back to the pew and replaced the strange, crimson cloak onto her. After that, blackness covered her desperate gaze and time elapsed into nothingness.

* * *

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Five:

"The Messiah of Odium"

* * *

Fubuki let out a slight moan as the searing, hostile whiteness of the hospital flooded into her blearily opening eyes. There was a small TV above her, droning the news; Fubuki couldn't hear it, but she didn't much care. She turned her head to one side; there was a view of Crystal Tokyo through the window, spreading out before her. But Fubuki wasn't interested in scenery. She turned to the other side, where a thin, bleached curtain separated her cot from the rest of the room.

Hospitals had lost much of the significance they once had before the Neo Silver Millennium; free from disease, hunger, and old age, most people there were those who had sustained serious physical injuries, and even these people's recovery times were quicker than had been known before the age of Crystal Tokyo.

Fubuki could hear the sound of muffled voices on the other side of the curtain. Her mind was still somewhat fuzzy; she groaned once again with the memory of the previous evening, that her mother would know where she was and what had happened the night before. Although the priest would give an account of the events that would make Fubuki seem innocent, her mother would surmise a host of details that would somehow incriminate her as the cause of the vandalism.

"It is my belief, Ms. Jujutsu," a familar voice began; the priest, Fubuki realized, probably come to comfort her mother, "that Fubuki tried to stay and stop her friends from fighting, and was caught in the crossfire. You should be proud of your daughter; this is an important change from her normal behavior. Clearly, this is a sign that she has learned to appreciate the kindness of the church, however much her outward behavior suggests otherwise."

Fubuki smirked at the irony. The priest had made the perfect excuse for her, without even realizing it.

"How can you be so naive?" Fubuki's mother replied depreciatingly. "I know that girl too well to think so kindly of her. There is no way she would have stopped someone from trashing that holy sanctuary; there is nothing she hates more than the church."

Nothing, Fubuki thought, except for her mother.

"If anything," her mother continued, "it is more likely that she injured herself while vandalizing the church. You said the windows had been broken, correct? Perhaps she cut herself on the falling glass while she was breaking them."

"That seems unlikely," the priest dissented. "When the crime scene was investigated, there were signs that seemed to indicate more than one person had been present that night. After all, the damage was far too large scale for a single person. Moreover, I doubt the glass could have gone straight through a heavy duster like the one Fubuki was wearing that evening. There weren't even any cuts in her trench coat, such as a sharp object would have made."

"Well, then..." Fubuki's mother paused, looking desperately for an explanation. "She was probably telling at least part of the truth; perhaps a friend of hers was going to meet her, and they were going to wreck the church together. And then they got in some kind of argument and ended up getting in a fight. Most likely it was that boy she's seeing; that druggie boy. I've told her to break up with that impecunious filth, but of course, that only encourages her the more. She enjoys seeing me suffer," she ranted. It was her mother's usual custom to unload her problems, usually related to Fubuki's 'ungratefulness,' to the head priest of the church; he always seemed to listen with a sympathetic ear. God knew no one else sympathized with that self-righteous bitch, Fubuki thought with a scowl.

"I know that your daughter does not understand your position," the priest replied empathetically, "but you must not be eager to criminalize her. What motive would she have to warn me? Doing so would only increase her chances of getting caught by the police. Fubuki has had a tough time since her father died; if you blame her for things she may or may not have done, you only make things harder for her."

Wow, Fubuki thought. Not everything the priest said was total bullshit. Somewhere in all that religious tripe he had some semblance of a brain.

"I'll raise my own daughter, thank you!" her mother snapped. "Now please, move out of the way! I want to see my daughter."

"She is still resting, Ms. Jujutsu," the priest informed her. "She just got her stitches a few hours ago. You should let her be."

"Out of the way!" she commanded, a warning glare in her cold gray eyes. "I told you, I want to see Fubuki!"

"Very well, ma'am," the priest replied, his voice becoming subdued. Fubuki could hear his footsteps as he walked hurriedly out of the hospital room and closed the door sharply behind him.

Fubuki's mother was silent for a moment; the silence, Fubuki knew, would not last long. She closed her eyes and tried to savor it for a moment; a world free from oppression. She wished that she was still unconscious; that she didn't have to listen to the endless ranting of her mother, neglectful in all aspects of her life but the appearance she presented to her mother's peers.

"Fubuki!" she shouted, pulling the curtain aside violently as she walked toward the bed. "Wake up immediately!"

Fubuki turned to the other side and looked at the sparkling view of the city. The scenery suddenly seemed almost interesting; she tried to ignore her mother's calls and just focus on the loathsome, sparkling obelisk of the Crystal Palace that she could see through the window.

"Fubuki!" her mother repeated, louder this time. "Don't try to pretend you're still asleep; I know you're not! Sit up and listen to me, young lady!"

"No," Fubuki replied.

"I won't accept a 'no' from you! Sit up, or else!"

"Or else _what_?" Fubuki said contemptuously. "Are you gonna pull me up? Grab me by the stitches and tie me to the ceiling? Well? Just what the fuck are you planning, huh?"

"How dare you talk to me that way!" she cried. "And if you want to know, the consequences are this: if you don't sit up, I won't pay for your stitches to be removed, and you can have them for the rest of your life!"

"What a bunch of bullshit," Fubuki sighed. "Come up with a real threat. I could just take them out myself."

Her mother paused for a moment; she grabbed Fubuki by her uninjured shoulder and somewhat laboriously pulled her limp figure upwards.

"Tell me, Fubuki, what did you do last night?" she asked her accusingly.

"I stayed home and threw darts at a picture of you, aiming to send a hole right through the center of your head," Fubuki snapped.

Her mother slapped Fubuki; Fubuki didn't give a fuck. That goddamn bitch deserved every word.

"Thanks for caring delicately for the injured," Fubuki told her.

"If you don't tell me what you were doing last night right now, so help me..." She paused, trying to think of an appropriate punishment. "So help me, I'll take your filthy coat and burn it to nothing!"

Fubuki looked anxiously around the hospital room; the whereabouts of her coat hadn't even crossed her mind, and she hated to think what her mother might have done to it. She knew that her mother wasn't beyond the kind of deceptive cruelty entailed in making a threat to do something she had already done. Thankfully, however, her coat was draped across the chair next to her bed, still caked with blood in a couple of places. Fubuki reached out and grabbed the coat. She held it protectively in her arms; it was the only tie to her father she still had, and losing that coat meant losing a part of herself.

"If you burn this coat..." Fubuki warned her mother, "they'll have more to repair that just that goddamn church."

"What are you suggesting?" her mother asked acidly.

"I don't have any attachment to your goddamn sparkling piece of shit house."

Fubuki's mother paused. She knew that Fubuki wasn't beyond ripping her house apart; god knew she had done it enough to her own room.

"Admit to me that you vandalized the church!" she demanded, returning to the point.

"I won't admit to things I didn't do," Fubuki rejoined bitingly. "I didn't touch your fuckin' church." Fubuki didn't give a fuck if she was lying; that bitch didn't deserve the truth.

"I won't leave until you give me the truth!"

"I already gave you the truth," Fubuki replied. "If you just want me to kiss ass and tell you want you want to hear, though, that's an entirely different story."

Her mother paused for a moment; her tall, imposing figure towered over Fubuki's bed-ridden form. Fubuki knew her mother wasn't really interested in hearing the truth; she wouldn't even have cared that Fubuki was a Sailor Senshi, unless it meant the chance to kiss ass with the queen. All she cared about was making Fubuki into her clone, only an improved clone, a clone without the flaws that Fubuki knew she abhored somewhere deep inside her heartless exterior. But Fubuki had resisted her control so completely, so absolutely, that her mother had not a shred of hope of turning her around. It seemed that all she had left was to prove just how awful a person Fubuki was, how much it couldn't have been perfect Ms. Jujutsu's fault. Fubuki wasn't going to give into her mother's wishes, because she knew how wholly everything horrible that had ever happened to her was really her mother's fault.

"If you do not admit to what you have done," her mother replied warningly, "I'll send you back to private school."

"You know I'd only make hell if you did!" Fubuki hollered in response. Her days in the private school had been hellish at best; she had had no one to talk to, and her only escape from insanity had been driving everyone else insane first.

"Maybe the stringent principles would teach you, once and for all, the proper way to act."

"You know I wouldn't show up. You know I'd never buy into that shit!" Fubuki replied.

"Maybe the unhappiness you feel there would be a lesson to you for behaving so impulsively and thoughtlessly to those around you, especially me. Now tell me...didn't you vandalize the church?"

Fubuki's face contorted as she resisted the urge to cry. "Fuck you," she hissed, "fuck you! You don't know or understand what the hell I do and what I don't do! You could never understand what I'm going through, you goddamn bitch!"

"Tell me, Fubuki!" She commanded.

"Fine!" Fubuki shouted resignedly. "Fine! You wanna hear it? Fuck this. I busted up the church. I broke the statue. I smashed the windows. I cut myself by some miraculous power and ended up in the hospital with stitches. Happy?"

"Happier than if you had lied, though that isn't saying much," her mother replied icily. "I will decide on your punishment later. After all you have put me through, don't expect me to be forgiving. I'm going back to work now; the doctor said you should rest for the day, but that you could go back to school by tomorrow morning. I trust you can take care of that much yourself."

"Thank god I can," Fubuki replied. "I'd hate to rely any more on a bitch like you."

"I hope you feel better soon," her mother replied unfeelingly as she turned around and walked out of the hospital, slamming the door behind her.

"I love you too, bitch," Fubuki retorted, watching the door close.

* * *

Usako woke up with a jump, a cold shiver running down her spine as the cool air of the spring night drifted through her open window. She had been dreaming; she didn't even remember what she had been dreaming about.

_I am amazed that you were able to cause this much trouble in such a short time._

The harsh words of her father were still ringing angrily in her head. Why had her family acted so cruelly to Seisui? From the most logical perspective, Usako could see the reasons for suspecting Seisui. For her family, the explanation had been easy; one left and one entered. Both were, seemingly, enemies of the royal house. But Usako knew Seisui's gentle temperament and nonviolent nature; even though she was often controlled by her emotions, she wasn't one to do harm, especially not to someone that she knew was important to Usako.

And even though their suspicion that Seisui was Sailor Titan could be easily understood, their immediate hatred of her could not. "Scars on the household..." Surely, mere criticism could not have been enough to merit such harsh feelings; to justify completely ignoring the presence of Seisui, and put her under immediate suspicion and dislike.

Usako sat up slowly, trying to ignore the heavy sensation in her muscles. Turning to her clock, she saw that it was four in the morning. There was no way she could fall back asleep now, even if she had wanted to. She had had trouble enough trying to drift off the first time; by the time she was relaxed enough to fall back asleep, it would be time to wake up again.

Usako got out of her soft, pink flannel sheets and walked over to the open window. From the tower of Crystal Tokyo, she could see for miles. Even at its darkest hour, she reflected, there were thousands of twinkling lights. By the time she was in school that morning, everyone in this sprawling city would have heard the news about Seisui. Everyone would be watching her, and, Usako thought restlessly, doing who knew what else.

Usako grabbed her school uniform off of her bedroom dresser and plodded to her shower. Since she had woken up, there was no reason not to get ready for school. Usako leaned against the ceramic wall of the shower as its warm water cascaded down her back; no matter how clean she became, she still felt heavy and burdened. After she finished her shower, which offered none of the calming benefits she'd hoped it would, she put on her uniform and walked quietly out into the silent, pitch-black hall of the palace.

"Good Morning, Usa," Hiroshi's voice greeted her.

"Hiroshi?" she called timidly. "Why are you up?"

"I've been up all night," he replied. "I couldn't sleep. And you?"

"I woke up," she explained. "I think I had a bad dream. I don't remember it anymore..." she added.

"Come join me; I'm on the stairs." he told her. There was no way she could have seen him in the almost suffocating darkness of the hall.

Usako walked over to the huge staircase, making her way somewhat carefully in the unlighted hall. She sat down on the step and inched her way toward Hiroshi, who put his arm around her and hugged her affectionately.

"How did all of this ever happen?" she asked. "I just wanted to help someone..."

"It's because Seisui isn't trustworthy," Hiroshi explained. "Because she makes every appearance of being suspicious."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Usako asked, her voice wavering.

"Seisui appears suspicious," Hiroshi explained quietly, "by no fault of her own. On the surface, the Senshi have every reason to believe what they do; but on the other hand, they don't know Seisui like you do. They don't understand what kind of person she is."

"How can I make them understand?"

Hiroshi said nothing.

A look of desperation crossed Usako's face; even Hiroshi, even Helios, older even than her mother, did not have an answer.

"There must be a way we can show them that Seisui isn't at fault."

"The proof is against her. They certainly won't let her back in the palace, and I doubt they would leave it to meet her. Something her father did obviously struck them in a powerful and negative way; more strongly than I had suspected. All we can do now is wait." Hiroshi paused, his face showing signs of frustration. "Wait, and hope that something else comes up. Right now, we don't have any solutions."

"I don't want to wait," Usako replied obstinately. "I'm sick of waiting. Waiting to grow up, waiting to be a Senshi, waiting to be a lady."

"To me," Hiroshi replied, "you've always been a lady. I knew that from the beginning."

Usako paused; this was an invitation to break down, to cease trying to maintain the control she had been struggling for ever since yesterday afternoon. Hiroshi hugged her, and Usako cried because she had nothing else to do.

* * *

"Tokimo," a voice called dimly, "Tokimo, you've slept through your alarm. You have to get up now."

Tokimo's eyes opened slowly as she saw her mother's face poised anxiously above her.

"Hrrrmmm... mom?" she said distractedly, sitting up slowly.

"You're going to be late," she continued, "if you don't hurry up."

Tokimo glanced at her purple bunny clock; it was a good fifteen minutes past the time she usually got up.

"Oops."

Well, no biggie, Tokimo thought. She would probably get to school on time as long as she sprinted.

"Tokimo..." her mother paused; she sounded depressed to Tokimo. Usually, her mother was almost as chipper as Tokimo was known to be.

"And..?" Tokimo prompted, a curious note in her voice. "Did something bad happen? Did giant hedgehogs take over Crystal Tokyo? Did Kouken get flushed down the toilet? Not that that would be much of a tragedy..."

"Tokimo..." her mother began, "you'd better look at the paper before you leave for school. It's on the table."

"The newspaper?" Tokimo asked in puzzlement. "But the news is so boooring." got out of bed and pulled open one of her pastel drawers, gathering a clean set of undies. "It's only about bad stuff happening and the stock market."

"Please look at the paper. I made your lunch; it's on the table. Make sure to grab a pop-tart before you leave, sweetie."

"Oh yeah, we were out yesterday. Did you buy any more?"

Her mother nodded. "No frosting."

"Right! No frosting!" Tokimo nodded enthusiastically. Smiling, Tokimo rather exaggeratedly motioned with her hands for her mother to leave. She walked out the door slowly, giving a worried glance as she left.

What was in the newspaper that had been such a big deal? For now, she had to concentrate on getting ready. She supposed she'd have to wait until she saw it to be angry and outraged.

Tokimo pulled her uniform down from the coat hanger on the door. She hurriedly pulled up her skirt and squeezed into her blouse; grabbing her brush, she ran it determinedly through her tangled hair. Then she dashed to the kitchen and bit about half of her first pop-tart off in one bite.

"Where did you say the newspaper was?" she asked her mother, who was pulling a large chicken out of the freezer.

"Right on the dining room table," her mother responded tersely.

Tokimo finished her first pop-tart and ran to the large, glass sliding door that separated the dining room from the kitchen. Throwing all her weight into it, it slid aside somewhat violently before she lunged to the table and looked down at the paper.

"Han'i daughter suspected of assassination attempt," she read aloud as she looked down at the letters boldly emblazoned across the front page.

"Han'i daughter?" she repeated. It had taken a moment for the meaning of the words to hit her, but now they did so with terrible force. "But that's..." Tokimo trailed off, one conclusion being drawn to another. If everyone saw this, Tokimo thought...if other people her age saw the newspaper...

"Seisui! This can't be happening!" Tokimo shouted as she turned around and ran back to the kitchen. Why, today, of all days, to be late? Maybe she could still find her in time. Maybe she could get to her before someone else did...

"I'm leaving Mom--" Tokimo announced urgently as she ran back to the kitchen. "Gottagobye!" she blurted as she dashed through the hallway. She ran back to her room and grabbed Kouken's limp, sleeping body; he let out a loud screech as Tokimo grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. As she madly picked up her schoolbags and ran out the door, her mother wasn't even left a moment to respond.

Seisui... what would happen if someone else got there before she did?

* * *

Seisui walked slowly along the concrete pavement. Each of her footsteps clicked lightly on the ground; but to Seisui's ears, they pounded like drums, following her in a deadly rhythm.

She couldn't believe what was happening. She didn't want to; every consequence that emerged from what happened would be so swift and deadly that she knew there was no way she could to stop it. All she could do was march blindly forward and hear her footsteps pounding mindlessly into the ground.

"Seisui!" a voice called out behind her. "Seisui, wait up!"

Seisui stopped; could it be Tokimo? She prayed that it was; Tokimo's presence was the closest thing to relief that she could hope for. Seisui turned her head to look behind her. Two long, pink pigtails streamed from behind Usako's head; close behind her, Hiroshi was struggling to catch up as well. The Asteroids, surprisingly, couldn't be seen.

Usako waved animatedly. Of all people, this was the one Seisui least wished to see; she turned back around and looked downwards. She kept walking forward; above all things, she mustn't cry. She mustn't cry...Showing Usako that she was unhappy to see her could destroy her cover once and for all.

"Seisui," Usako gasped as she continued to approach. "Wait up. Stop for a minute."

Seisui stopped but didn't turn around. Usako stood beside her, gasping for breath. Hiroshi soon followed; he put an arm around Usako and, if anything, was breathing even harder.

"Seisui," Usako continued, beginning to regain her breath, "Seisui..."

"What?" Seisui asked weakly. "You keep saying my name, but you aren't telling me anything."

Usako regained her breath; she stood up straight, and Hiroshi soon followed her. She just stood beside Seisui for a moment; neither of them saying anything.

"Did you see it?" Usako asked fearfully.

"Yeah," Seisui replied tersely, her voice wavering.

"I'm sorry," Usako said, beginning to weep. "I'm so sorry." Hiroshi took Usako's hand. He didn't dare comfort her more--not when Seisui had much bigger problems on her mind.

"It's okay," Seisui replied, a barely audible edge to her voice.

"I shouldn't have told them you ran off," she repented. "I should have lied."

"You don't have to lie," Seisui replied with little feeling. "It wouldn't have mattered what you said, anyway. They were already convinced."

"It's all my fault," Usako sobbed, ignoring Seisui's consolance.

"You did what you could to defend her," Hiroshi reassured her. "there was very little you to could do to remedy what was simply a bad situation."

"Seisui...can you ever forgive me?"

Seisui said nothing; though Usako's crying was beginning to attract stares, and it appeared that the mention of Seisui's name had not gone unnoticed. Soon people began to stand around, appearing to mind their own business as much as possible, but clearly paying as much attention to the scene as they could get away with.

"Usako," Seisui began dully, "Usako, people are beginning to notice us."

Hiroshi looked around; now that Seisui had mentioned it, the fact was becoming increasingly more obvious.

"Usako," Hiroshi told her gently. "We'd better pick this up sometime later. Okay?"

Usako wiped away her tears and nodded reluctantly. Seisui began to walk forward again; Hiroshi and Usako followed close behind her. Seisui tried not to pay attention to the increasingly large amounts of people staring at her and whispering to each other. Whispering, Seisui knew, meant that people were starting to pass information along; the group who knew what was going on, or thought they knew what was going on, would slowly get larger and larger.

"Hey," A tall, brunette boy walked up to Seisui. He couldn't have been out of high school; his dark, navy blue uniform was an assurance of that. Seisui looked up at him, trying to appear composed despite the fear that was rapidly rising in her heart. It was not long before a small crowd of uniformed boys was blocking Seisui's path; the crowd around her seemed to thicken, and whispered voices of surprise and loathing floated eerily around her.

"We heard you and your little friend talking," he informed her. "You're the one, aren't you? We heard your name."

"Who?" Seisui asked reluctantly, looking downwards.

"You know. The one that attacked the queen. Sailor Titan, was it?" he laughed mockingly. "Pretty funny. The daughter of Han'i is a Sailor Senshi."

"I didn't attack the queen," Seisui denied, pausing fearfully. "I didn't."

The boy smirked and came nearer to Seisui. He knew he had the upper hand. There was nothing Seisui could say, nothing she could do, that wouldn't antagonize her as the perpetrator of the crime.

"Yeah, whatever. We all know about your family, Han'i. We all know what kind of a person your father was."

With this, the crowd thickened even more; there was no pretending left, and people just stood around and stared with a distant fascination.

"What about my family?" Seisui protested. "What about my father? You didn't know him. You were too young to even know anything about him!"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he chuckled. "So, what do you think your first words were?"

"It's none of your business," Seisui replied shakily, her voice giving way.

"Kill the queen," one of the other boys chimed in. "She chanted it when she was just a baby. Kill the queen! Kill the queen! Kill the queen!"

"I did not!" Seisui sobbed, "I didn't! I didn't!"

"She tried to kill the queen, and she'll pay for it!" one of his followers shouted.

"Get away from Seisui!" Usako suddenly shouted. "She's done nothing to you! Just leave us be!"

"Oh yeah?" The head boy asked, walking toward Usako and pulling her forward by her light blue collar. "And just who the hell are you?"

"Stop it!" Hiroshi interjected. "Let go of Usako!"

The head boy turned somewhat nonchalantly toward Hiroshi, still holding onto Usako with one hand; Hiroshi ran toward him, but before he could even think of landing a punch, the boy pushed him roughly onto the sidewalk with his free hand. Hiroshi landed rather uncomfortably; he sat upright on the pavement, cringing in pain.

"As I was saying," The boy continued nonchalantly, turning back toward Usako. "Just who the hell are you, anyway?

"My name is Usako!" she replied somewhat valiantly, despite her position. "I'm Seisui's friend."

"Another killer, eh? Did you plot the murder together?"

"Don't you dare talk to Usako that way!" Hiroshi shouted, standing up somewhat limply and clenching his fist.

"Yeah, whatever." He responded, throwing Usako against Hiroshi and sending him falling back onto the hard pavement. "Just tuck your tail between your legs, Spot, and keep outta this. This is between us and the queen killer."

The boy turned back toward Seisui and began walking toward her. Seisui backed away in fear, but she was between him and his followers, and they soon pressed her close in between them and her antagonist.

"Get away from her!" Usako screamed, pulling at the boy's sleeve. "Get away from Seisui!"

"I told you to stay out of this," The boy replied. "But evidently, you two aren't good listeners. You guys," he continued, motioning to two of his friends. "Keep them from interfering."

The boys nodded and walked toward Usako and Hiroshi. Usako backed away fearfully; the first boy slammed Usako squarely on the head. Seisui flinched with the thud of his fist impacting against Usako's skull as she heard the disjointed fwump of her body falling unconscious to the pavement. Seisui cried, not because Usako was hurt, but because it was all so pathetic; Usako was a coward, and she should have known she was a coward, instead of making a pretense of justice.

Hiroshi punched the second boy in the face as he approached him, leaving a large red mark on his cheek. Seisui was surprised Hiroshi was capable of even that; his stature was smaller and weaker than that of most girls, not to mention his exceedingly short height. The boy, unsurprisingly, did little more than flinch before he returned a swing twice its force to Hiroshi's head and sent him crashing to the ground.

And so that was the end of their pathetic resistance, Seisui thought. She had learned long ago that trying to put up a real fight against a group of thuggish boys was a lost cause, and trying to put up a fight against even two was impossible for two people as weak as Usako and Hiroshi. Without the power of the royal family, they were nothing.

The boy turned toward Seisui again; his followers held her arms on either side of her.

"Come on," he encouraged Seisui. "Admit to it. Tell me you're Sailor Titan!"

"I'm not Sailor Titan!" Seisui shouted, refusing to give in. It didn't matter anyway; no matter what she said, nobody else cared.

The boy punched her squarely in the cheek.

"Tell me the truth!"

"That is the truth! I'm not Sailor Titan!"

He punched her again. Seisui flinched as little as she could bear; at this rate, she would loose a tooth.

"I'm not Sailor Titan!" she sobbed.

He punched her again.

"I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!" she wailed. "I can't say it! I won't say it! It isn't true!"

"Stupid bitch has a fighting spirit," the boy observed.

"Should we try something else?" One of the boys asked nonchalantly. "Maybe if we dragged her through the stre--"

His sentence was cut off as he fell abruptly forward onto the pavement, his muscular body making a large thud as it crashed unceremoniously to the ground. The group of boys looked up from where he had fallen.

"Let go of Seisui!" Tokimo demanded, "or I'll kick your ass, Tokimo-style!"

The boys looked critically at each other; the sight of a five-foot-one girl was hardly enough to scare them.

"Go home, little girl," the head boy replied. "we're trying to take care of a problem here."

Tokimo immediately gave him a punch in the stomach, which, although not very powerful, succeeded in scuttling him backwards a few feet.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed.

Tokimo didn't bother wasting any more time explaining or beating up the stupid prick that had harassed Seisui. Realistically, she knew she had no chance of taking on this many people all at once. Instead, she headed straight for the boys who were holding Seisui's arms; the four of them were wide open. They looked a little wary as Tokimo barreled toward them, but for the most part unafraid; Tokimo didn't look like much of a threat.

There were some things that Tokimo had picked up that she hadn't learned in karate class. Most people would have called them cheap shots; Tokimo decided that they were just getting straight to the point. So Tokimo hit the first of the three boys clear in the groin. After the first painful shot, the other four boys loosened their grip slightly; Tokimo took advantage of their disgust and pulled Seisui away by her half-freed arm. Before Seisui had even realized what had gone on, she was barreling down the sidewalk toward school, away from the five boys; and, for the first time in her life, saved from torment.

* * *

Tokimo must have run down a good two or three blocks past the crowd of onlookers and antagonistic boys before stopping; by that time, everyone, bullies and curious spectators, had given up trying to follow the two girls and gone on with their daily business. She took a few huge, gasping breaths of air; she was a very fit girl, but the effort of dragging Seisui along had taken its toll.

After she had regained her breath, she hugged Seisui.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I only just saw the newspaper."

"It's...okay," Seisui replied, regaining her breath. "It's not your fault that they were picking on me. I probably shouldn't have gone into the palace in the first place."

"It's not your fault!" Tokimo protested, letting go of her. "You were the one doing the right thing. The Queen needs to be gotten rid of! After what she did to your dad, they could never have cause to criticize you!"

"Don't you think that's a bit extreme?" Kouken asked. "The queen herself seems to have little at fault. It is merely her granddaughter who is our cause to worry."

Tokimo restrained the desire to throw her purple backpack crashing into the pavement.

"You heard what she did! Seisui's dad... he... he's a mindless zombie 'cause the queen waved her magic wand and wiped away all the nastiness in him!" she exclaimed. "You heard about it yourself! Don't you care about Seisui's dad?"

"What happened in Seisui's recent past is none of my concern," Kouken explained. "Those are Seisui's problems. However, Seisui's personal vendetta has gotten in the way of our real mission; her unrestrained break into the castle may have ruined us all. Both of you have let your personal feelings toward Councilor Han'i keep you from focusing on killing Usako. Once she's gone, our mission will be complete; Diana's rule will be prevented."

"So you are suggesting that it is perfectly fine if Serenity rules tyrannically, as long as Diana does not," Seisui said, a slight hint of anger in her voice.

"Who are you to say that Serenity's rule is tyrannical? Your father suffered a grievous injustice, but many people during the Rainbow Millennium suffered far worse; and before the Queen took the throne on earth, thousands of people were suffering from highly corrupt justice systems. Admittedly, her rulership isn't flawless; but is it really worth killing her over? Is the injustice done to one person enough to overthrow an entire form of government?"

"If your father had been purified," Seisui responded, struggling to retain the fury in her voice, "then you wouldn't say such things. You could never understand!" Seisui's voice wavered, her anger mingling slightly with tears. "No one understands."

"There are plenty of people who understand," Tokimo rejoined. "There were lots of people who suffered because of the queen. Think of the Great Purification! That was the whole planet! That's more people than have ever been killed in one place, at one time, ever!"

"They weren't killed," Kouken retorted. "They were purified."

"Close enough, isn't it?!" Tokimo snapped. "Purification, death...they both destroy you! What's important isn't your body, it's your soul! Seisui's dad is gone forever. He just sits around the house like a corpse that never got buried!"

"Fine then," Kouken hissed, "Do what you want. But do it after our job is done! Once you've killed Usako, the queen is as good as dead, anyway. Her offspring will never succeed her, and the crystal will die."

"But we can still kill her afterwards?" Tokimo asked.

"Do what you want," Kouken replied, his patience wearing thin. Tokimo seemed, like a child, to have little conception of the weight of her actions; as if killing Neo Queen Serenity were no different than merely ousting her off the throne. But he had had enough of trying to argue with Tokimo; she never listened, unless she liked what she heard.

"See, Seisui? So let's get rid of Usako real quick," she said with a smile. "Don't worry. Your dad won't have been purified for nothing. Because of it, we know just how evil the Queen really is!"

Seisui nodded. "Thank you, Tokimo, for saving me. You don't know how many times..." Seisui paused nervously for a moment, afraid to recall her own memories. "How many times I limped to school."

"When I saw the newspaper," Tokimo explained, "I knew the kind of stupid crap people might pull on you. And the way they all just stood around and watched..." she clenched her fist and frowned in disgust. "It makes me so mad! I can't stand people who just sit back and let others suffer. So don't thank me. Helping you out was only the natural thing to do." Tokimo frowned and looked at Seisui's face; she looked pretty roughed up. Those boys must have hit her several times before Tokimo arrived. "We'd better get to school, Seisui. I'll bring you to the nurse. Erik will understand, he's the most laid-back teacher in the school. You need an ice-pack for that. You know, one of those nifty things that's squishy even though it's as cold as ice? I always wanted one of those things...My mom never bought one, even though I got in a lot of fights when I was in Shiwaumi. She always said that ice was just as good and it didn't cost anything."

"That's okay--It's not bad enough to go to the nurse's office." Seisui paused. "But I never knew you used to get into fights."

"Oh yeah. All the time." Tokimo laughed. "I was real short, though. So a lot of the time I lost. Then I took karate, and I learned how to kick ass--"

"Tokimo-style?" Seisui interjected.

"Yeah! That's right."

"Why did people beat you up?" Seisui asked. She felt guilty asking Tokimo about such a touchy issue, but Tokimo looked like she thought it was no big deal.

"They didn't really beat me up," Tokimo replied, "I beat them up. The bullies used to pick on kids, you know; I couldn't stand it. So I tried to beat them up. I was walking to school one day when I was six; there was this big, I dunno, maybe 16-year-old guy, and he was picking on some little freshman. I got real mad and I tried to beat him up."

Both Seisui and Kouken widened their eyes in surprise.

"When you were _six_?" Kouken stuttered in shock.

Tokimo nodded. "Yeah. He laughed at me. After that, he shoved me real hard in the other direction and told me to stay out of it. I scraped my knee pretty bad, but that was it. I was real pissed! But he stopped harassing the girl. That's how scary Tokimo is!"

Seisui laughed.

"Then when I was older and I knew karate, I stood up for the other kids. If someone was getting beat up, I was always there to give 'em one right where the sun didn't shine!" she explained enthusiastically. "Usually people weren't that grateful that I'd helped them out, though. They'd just kind of give a lame thanks and run off. That's 'cause they were scared of Karate Mastah Tokimo!"

"Why were they scared of you for helping them out?" Seisui asked.

Tokimo faltered a little bit. "Well, it's like I said earlier. I don't think it was so much that they were afraid of me. I think it was 'cause they had forks up their butts and they thought I was weird or stupid or obnoxious." She grinned. "But stupid people like that don't count. So I don't let 'em bother me."

"Then why did you help them?" Seisui asked in puzzlement.

Tokimo shrugged. "I dunno. I just didn't like seeing people get beat up, I guess. Mean people suck. And if people didn't like me, I wasn't going to be malicious about it; even though they deserved it! Not unless they went out of their way to be mean. It was the people who were bullies that I beat up."

"How can you do that?" Seisui asked.

"Do what?" Tokimo asked.

"Just go around beating up people who are mean. Where do you get the courage?"

Tokimo shrugged. "How could you barge into the castle and assault the queen in her own bedroom?"

Seisui blushed. "I'm not sure," she replied sheepishly. "I guess I was angrier than I was scared. After what she did to my father..."

"Well, I'm too angry to be scared, too," Tokimo replied matter-of-factly. "When I saw those buttheads beating you up, I didn't even think about what I was doing." Tokimo paused for a moment, a sudden realization hitting her. "Crap! I could've transformed and smashed them to pieces! That sucks! I didn't even think of it!"

"It's a good thing you didn't!" Kouken replied, flabbergasted. "Just think of what would have happened if you had!"

"Yeah," Tokimo agreed reflectively. "I couldn't have said "I'm gonna kick your ass, Tokimo-style!" if I had transformed, 'cause they would know who I was. And without my catch phrase, the coolness would be entirely lost! So it's a good thing I didn't."

"No! That's not it at all!" Kouken sighed in exasperation. "If you had transformed and saved Seisui, it would have brought even more suspicion on Seisui--it would practically be proof of her being Sailor Titan. What motive would a strange, unfamiliar Sailor Senshi have for rescuing a random girl?"

"Umm..." Tokimo paused, "'cause it's wrong to beat defenseless people up?"

"I'm sure thousands of people are beat up every day," Seisui informed her, "and no one ever rescues them."

"Well, they should!" Tokimo objected, stomping her foot in enthusiasm. "It's just icky, how many people are beat up every day by stupid jerks! If I could, I'd beat up every last one of them with my mastah skillz!"

"That's not the point," Kouken responded hastily. "The point is, people would have even more reason to suspect Seisui if you came to her rescue as Sailor Charon."

"But people don't know about Sailor Charon," Tokimo protested. "I could pretend I was Sailor Titan; after all, there aren't any pictures of Sailor Titan floating around, are there? My being there would, if anything, work for Seisui--not against her."

"If you weren't smart enough to think of transforming," Kouken replied indignantly, "I certainly don't think you could have come up with a plan that complex during the time that you were running to save Seisui."

"I could have," Tokimo defended herself, folding her arms huffily. "But it doesn't matter, anyway. I saved Seisui, and that's what's important. So let's get to school as soon as we can; once we get there, we won't have to listen to Kouken anymore. Right, Seisui?"

Seisui smiled nervously.

"Now come on," Tokimo said, "Let's go!"

Tokimo grabbed Seisui's hand and began walking back down the sidewalk. The first bell was only five minutes away, but Tokimo knew she could get excused if she was bringing Seisui to the nurse after a fight. She had gotten away with that one a few times before.

"Don't be scared when you get to school," Tokimo reassured Seisui, "If anyone says anything, I'll beat 'em all up! The whole school, if I have to! Even Erik!"

"Erik...?" Seisui asked dubiously.

"Yup!" she responded confidently. "Even Erik!"

Seisui decided not to argue with Tokimo on this one. If she was in a particularly bad mood, Seisui could almost imagine her beating up Erik, however impossible she knew it must be. Besides, Tokimo's confidence was enough to inspire her to make the best of the rest of the day; after all, with Usako temporarily out of commission, she probably wouldn't have to see her for the rest of the day. And that was enough comfort to negate the hatred of the ignorant masses.

* * *

Yamiko had one thing dead set in her mind as she walked to school that morning: stay out of it. At first, warning Usako had seemed like a good idea; someone had to, she figured, and however unwilling a participant she was, she had trouble with the idea of sitting down and watching Seisui and Tokimo plan bloody murder. But even that was becoming increasingly too much to bother with. After all, the Crimson Eagle seemed pretty dedicated to Usako's defense. If he was going to pick up the slack and prevent the princess from getting massacred, there was no reason why she had to get mixed up in this insanity. She had enemies enough; Seisui, Tokimo, Usako...who knew? With their less than friendly parting last night, she might even be hated by the Crimson Eagle soon. So it didn't really matter if she warned Usako or fought against Titan and Charon; no one believed her or liked her anyway.

And it was with that mindset that she found Usako and Hiroshi lying on the pavement.

From the look of the scene around them, there had definitely been an incident of some kind. There weren't many people around, but those that were there were looked on with interest and mumbled amongst themselves uneasily. Yamiko stopped in front of the couple; she really, really didn't want to help them. After all, why should she help them? Surely, someone else would pick up the responsibility.

Yamiko glanced around; no one was stopping to help them. The only people around were looking at her, as if they expected her, the first random person that walked up, to help out. Why weren't they helping? Was there some reason why they didn't want to get involved with whatever had gone on before? Yamiko became uneasy; helping them would draw attention to herself, that was certain. But then, not helping them would probably draw even more attention to her, and of the negative kind. And that, she decided, was far the worse of two choices.

Yamiko knelt down beside Usako; a large bump was beginning to form on her head, and she looked pretty beat up. Yamiko nudged her slightly. She didn't move; she continued to lie in a restful, dreamless void that appeared so peaceful Yamiko almost wished she could exchange places with her.

"Wake up..." Yamiko encouraged her, shaking Usako more violently. "Come on..."

Usako didn't open her eyes. Yamiko hesitated for a moment, then slapped Usako quite sharply across the cheek. Usako let out a low groan and opened her eyes unwillingly.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, peering around her.

"I don't know. I just got here myself. But whatever was happening before is over now."

"Seisui!" Usako shouted urgently, pulling herself up rather uncomfortably and looking around in panic. "What happened to Seisui?" she asked Yamiko.

"Seisui? I don't know. I haven't seen Seisui since yesterday. Why, was she involved?"

Usako looked at Yamiko for a moment, confused as to her relation to her lonely and rather unpopular friend. After peering at Yamiko for a moment, the realization of her identity suddenly hit her.

"You're Yamiko! You're the one that used Seisui!"

"I never used Seisui," Yamiko replied in annoyance, beginning to regret her decision to help Usako. "I don't know what Seisui has been telling you, but it isn't the truth."

"Seisui never told us anything," Usako retorted. "It was easy enough to tell."

"There are some things about Seisui that I think are easy enough to tell," Yamiko rejoined, a edgy note in her voice. "And yet you seem rather blind to them."

Usako didn't reply; she gave Yamiko a warning glance and walked over to Hiroshi, shaking him and calling his name. It took a while for him to wake up; when he did, he sat up with the same dazed expression as Usako had had. Usako hugged him in relief.

Yamiko decided that she was obviously neither wanted nor needed. She continued to school so she wouldn't be late for class.

"Wait," Usako called out as Yamiko began to walk toward Goban high. "Wait up a second."

"What do you want?" Yamiko asked impatiently. "I wouldn't think you'd be interested in much of anything I have to say," she added.

"Do you think Seisui is Sailor Titan too?" Usako asked. "Is that why you said that to me?"

"I know that Seisui is Sailor Titan," Yamiko replied.

"You're lying!" Usako snapped. "How could you know? Even if she were Sailor Titan, why would she tell you?"

"Think of who we're talking about!" Yamiko replied. "This is Seisui. And there is only one thing Seisui hates more than Serenity's daughter; and that's Serenity herself."

"If that were true, she wouldn't be my friend!"

"She would if she had something to gain from it," Yamiko told her. "I've known people like her."

"Of course you've known such people!" Usako replied. "You're one of those people! You used Seisui! You're the one responsible for her self-hatred!"

"Don't talk to me about self-hatred!" Yamiko interjected, anguish resonating in her voice. "I know more about that than you'd ever dare. And it's none of your business, anyway. Seisui gets everyone's sympathy because of what happened to her--not that it was even that bad. So her father was demoted...I can't see why that's worth crying and whining over."

"That's easy for you to say!" Hiroshi snapped. "I don't see you getting beat up on the way to school in the morning!"

Yamiko paused. "Seisui was..."

"Don't you read the newspaper?" Usako replied scathingly. "Now everyone knows 'the truth' about Seisui. Everyone is against her! I tried to save her...who knows where she is now? I don't want to think about it." Usako paused, a note of pain in her voice. "Seisui is blamed for murder because of me."

Yamiko wasn't aware of what exactly Usako was talking about, but she couldn't help being intrigued. The newspaper, evidently, would yield results as well as inquiring Usako as to what had happened; and the former was certainly the more preferred means of seeking out the information.

"I have to go to class," Yamiko hastily interjected. "This isn't my problem, and I'm not going to get involved. Just watch out for Seisui."

Yamiko turned around and ran off before Usako had the chance to respond. She didn't want to hear Usako defend Seisui. Why were people defending Seisui, anyway? She was the one in the wrong. Yamiko was in the right, and now everyone was against her. What had she done to deserve any of this? A tear unwillingly fell down her cheek. After her parents had died, she had been expelled from private school. A poor student, unstable, unfriendly. Why was the same nightmare repeating over and over...? Why was Seisui--a violent, over-emotional killer--getting love and sympathy?

* * *

When Yamiko walked into English, she knew that something was seriously wrong.

There was a feeling of subdued excitement throughout the room. English class was usually fairly quiet; people skimmed over their reading as a refresher for the test, or occasionally asked each other questions. Erik vonDarkmoor was not an easy English teacher, and he expected fluency of speech as well as precise grammar. But no one was doing homework; and from what little Yamiko could hear of the people around her, it didn't appear that they were asking questions, either. Girls whispered to each other; boys murmured things and snickered. And in the corner of the classroom, futilely trying not to be noticed, was Seisui. Tokimo had a pathetic demeanor of her own; like a bulldog who knew they were about to be put down, but was determined to fight to the death. Most of the students weren't even afraid to openly glare at Seisui, and even those who were occasionally glanced toward her.

Yamiko looked around the room; the only seats that weren't occupied were the eight situated directly around Seisui; except, of course, for the desk Tokimo was seated at. Yamiko groaned as she realized she was going to have to sit within one person of Tokimo, and within direct earshot; the most she could do to offset the problem was sit on the other side of Seisui.

Yamiko sat down next to Seisui's hunched over form; the only consolation in this situation was that she might be able to figure out what was going on.

"Dammit all," Tokimo hissed. "It doesn't take anytime for the news to travel around, does it?"

"It's because it's me," Seisui responded quietly. "It's big news anyway, and the fact that they know me makes it even worse. Everyone's just waiting for the truth to come out."

"Don't worry," Tokimo encouraged her. "I'll figure something out. People think there's only one Moon Senshi. But there's two of us, right? So I can throw them off. I can call myself Sailor Titan and de-transform. Then they'll think I'm you, and they'll ignore you and go after me instead."

This surprised Yamiko. Tokimo, of all people, did not seem like the self-sacrificing type. As noble as she made herself out to be, Tokimo seemed to be looking out for number one. But then, she and Seisui did cling onto each other steadfastly; even after all that they had been through. Yamiko couldn't help wondering what would have happened if they had been pitted up against some third enemy, instead of the Queen. Could Tokimo and her have been friends? As much as she hated to admit it, Tokimo did have one or two good qualities.

"No..." Seisui objected. "That wouldn't work. The Queen already knows what Sailor Titan looks like; and even if she didn't...then everyone would just go after you instead of me."

"Eh," Tokimo replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "I could handle it. I'd just beat 'em all up. "

"Five guys at once?"

Tokimo nodded.

"It's no good if they beat you up. It'll be even worse that way, since they'll have concrete proof that you're a Moon Senshi. We want to keep them in the dark as long as possible," Seisui explained. This was definitely a plan that Seisui did not want Tokimo to try; which meant she'd have to come up with a lot of good reasons. Tokimo, despite whatever advice she was given, had a tendency to take things into her own hands.

Seisui's train of thought was abruptly interrupted as the shining metal door of the classroom was swung impatiently forward. The tall, menacing form of Erik vonDarkmoor walked into the bustling classroom; the dark, condescending look he gave the class quickly encouraged them to sit down, face forward, and pretend that the grave news about Seisui had never entered their minds.

"Good morning," he greeted them stiffly.

The class looked nervously at each other and back toward Erik; no one even had the courage to return the greeting.

"I am aware that some rather upsetting news has reached all of you, and that it relates to this classroom," he vaguely explained. "However, I expect it to have no bearing on the way you treat each other, or, for that matter, anyone. And if I hear any unkind word, even an utterance--about anyone--you will have the joy of carrying three pails of water. Two will be placed in your hands, and the third on your head. You will do this for an hour; if any water spills or falls, it will be refilled, and you will have to carry it for the rest of the day. Also, you will stand in the center of the lunch yard, so everyone can have the joy of seeing you and mocking you there."

The students looked at each other nervously; they weren't sure whether to treat this as an empty threat or not--it didn't really even sound possible--but none of them really cared to find out.

"With that in mind," he continued, "we will begin English class."

Seisui cowered in her seat; really, all Erik had done was drawn more attention to her. What disconcerted her even more was the dark gaze he fixed on her as he began class; it was if he were looking straight through her, into her heart and the hatred that resided there.

"Sorry we're late!" Usako gasped as she and Hiroshi entered the room, slamming the door open and gasping for breath. They bowed deeply.

"That's all right," Erik replied. "Please take a seat."

Usako and Hiroshi sat in the two other seats surrounding Seisui; Usako in the back and Hiroshi next to her. Usako stared suspiciously at both Yamiko and Tokimo; the fact that they were seated adjacent to her was extremely suspicious. It could mean that they had been aggravating whatever problems Seisui already had to deal with. Especially with what Yamiko had told her less than a half hour ago.

"What happened after you left, Seisui?" Usako asked nervously. "We were really worried about you. Someone told us that a girl helped you."

"Uh…yeah," Seisui responded. "Tokimo helped me out."

"Tokimo?" Usako responded in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah." Seisui tersely responded. "She doesn't hate me that much, you know, and she hates seeing anyone get beat up."

"Oh...okay." Usako responded, somewhat perplexed.

Seisui could not have been more unhappy at Usako's arrival. She had thought that she would have, at least, an escape from Usako for the day; it was bad enough already. But Usako's unrelenting desire to solve the problems of her "warped" mind was as unrelenting as Tokimo in a fistfight. Seisui prayed that the school day would go by as quickly as possible; a prayer that she knew was completely in vain.

* * *

"Come on, Seisui," Usako encouraged as she grabbed Seisui's wrist and lead her toward the far corner of the lunch yard. "We can share lunches."

"I'm not hungry," Seisui replied. "I'd tell you to share it with your friends, but they apparently aren't here."

"Yeah," Usako replied, ignoring Seisui's somewhat hostile tone. "They said they had to discuss some things with my father. Though I suspect they may just have been looking for an excuse not to come to school with me."

"Why?" Seisui asked, though she could guess the answer well enough.

"Because they agree with the rest of the Senshi," Usako said, sighing disappointedly as she pulled out her lunch. It was simpler this time; just two sandwiches and a large serving of salad. It was more than enough for Seisui, and certainly more than Usako ever ate; but still, it did imply something. Sailor Jupiter obviously had other things on her mind than making Usako an extravagant lunch.

"Who could blame them," Seisui replied, trying to keep up her act of innocence. "The evidence seems clear enough."

"Evidence isn't everything," Hiroshi responded, "Even when the culprit seems obvious, sometimes the motivation is enough to warrant a second look at a crime."

"I don't even have that on my side!" Seisui protested. "I'm the daughter of Han'i. What other proof do they need? What other proof did they bother to find?"

"They didn't need to find any other proof. An easy and final ending to the problems with Councilor Han'i seemed incentive enough to blame you." Seisui turned around; a calm and delicate voice had unexpectedly made it's way into the conversation. A short woman, dressed as a teacher, had responded to her; and from her dark hair and unobtrusive manner, Seisui could guess well enough that it was Hotaru Tomoe.

"Hotaru!" Usako exclaimed, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Why are you here?"

"Endymion sent me," she responded, her voice ever so slightly strained.

"I wish I could say I were shocked," Helios replied bitterly.

"I wanted to let you know I'm here," Hotaru explained, "Even though His Majesty probably didn't plan on my telling you."

"You were saying before...?" Seisui abruptly interrupted. "What is the reasoning of the Sailor Senshi?"

"It is often said among the citizens of Crystal Tokyo that the queen can be admired for her purity," Hotaru began, "along with her sweetness and her devotion to the happiness of everyone. Indeed, the queen gives mild punishments even to severe criminals."

That was true you considered purification a 'mild punishment,' Seisui thought bitterly.

"However, it could also be said that she is hypersensitive," Hotaru continued.

"You can say that, for sure," Usako interjected in annoyance. "I knew her when she was younger."

"Your father, Seisui, was more than just a critic to the queen," she explained. "He hated her above all others. To the public, he gave a visage of understanding, of looking out for the needs of the people. But among councilors, he constantly questioned her decisions, her rulership, even her very existence. He was completely against the idea of a single ruler for billions of people. And he believed that the queen wasted too much time worrying about and interfering with policies that concerned her image."

"Infterfering with her image?" Seisui responded, containing her inner resentment. "Could you mean, perhaps, those laws against freedom of speech?"

"There are no such laws written in the constitution," Hotaru replied. "Though the queen usually does rule on principle, not by law. But still, she does not censor anyone's opinions, public or private."

"What if what they say offends the queen?" Seisui challenged.

"This is not purely a matter of offense," Hotaru replied, "What Han'i said went far beyond that; he accused her of dodging her responsibilities in favor of frivolous social time, and he insulted her in a demoralizing way. The things he said affected the queen's ability to rule and function. Far more seriously, there were times when he conspired to overthrow her."

"How did you find out?" Seisui asked.

"The other councilors were loyal to the queen. Though they may have been critical of the queen at times, they were trying to help the queen; not oust her. They informed the rest of us."

"Still, why did you have to pu--" Seisui paused. She had to remind herself that normal people didn't look on purification as a punishment; that even, they considered it a good thing. "--to punish him?"

"Because he was too dangerous to continue as a member of the council. It wasn't long after his rebellious nature in the forum that he began spreading malicious ideas to the general public; by the time we had discovered his ideas, he had made it well known to the world that he thought the queen was selfish, gluttonous, and neglectful of her responsibilities; that she was too stupid to run any government, let alone the world. These were the kind of slanderous things he believed about her."

"Do you really believe that what he said was slander?" Seisui asked.

"Well, I would argue so. I suppose the line between opinion and slander can be rather thin--but in any case, it caused her to emotionally break down. What he said to her subjects affected her enough that she was not able to rule for a multitude of weeks. After that..." Hotaru paused.

Seisui waited patiently for her to continue; this, she was sure, was the part where he was punished. But why did she bother to pause? By their standards the punishment was mild.

"What?" Usako asked. "What happened after that?"

"There were...other incidents concerning Councilor Han'i during that time. Eventually, he was tried. The queen's subjects had not been swayed by his beliefs; quite the opposite, there was open outrage against him. Many people clamored for banishment. There was a brief time when we debated that."

"Banishment?!" Usako repeated in shocked. "The last time a criminal was banished--"

"We will not speak of that here," Hotaru interjected. "There is no need of it. That was part of our motivation to overturn such a decision, despite the fact that Nemesis is now completely harmless. That, and such a punishment would have been unnecessarily cruel. Instead, we chose demotion. It was a fairly suitable punishment; it stopped the crime and it didn't needlessly hurt the criminal. The queen was merciful, even though she was very distressed by the words and deeds of Councilor Han'i."

"What about purification?" Seisui asked, a slightly bitter note in her voice.

"What about it?" Hotaru queried, somewhat perplexed.

"You didn't mention that," Seisui explained. "You didn't mention his other punishment."

"That wasn't a punishment..." Hotaru replied. "At least there isn't anything wrong with it that I am able to see."

"No..." Seisui responded. "There isn't." After all, she hadn't seen it, had she? To her, there wasn't anything wrong with it.

"What do you have against it?" Hotaru asked.

"What do you mean?" Seisui asked, feigning ignorance. Acting rebellious and questioning probably wasn't a good way to convince the Sailor Senshi that she wasn't Sailor Titan; she had let her feelings act on their own, and now she would have to work around her mistaken behavior.

"You must have a reason for believing that purification is wrong, if you think it is a punishment."

"No... I just thought that because it was done after the trial, when he was demoted. So I just assumed that it was a punishment."

"You're lying, aren't you?" Hotaru asked her, her voice patient.

"What do you mean?" Usako interjected, somewhat disappointed in Hotaru's mistrust.

"The way you asked me did not lend itself to such an apathetic standpoint. You obviously have more personal feelings about it."

"You're putting words in my mouth," Seisui replied somewhat timidly.

"You're right," Hotaru confessed. "But I can't just ignore the way you asked me that. To be honest, I'm curious as to how you came about such an opinion."

"Even if I had such an opinion," Seisui replied, "telling you would only encourage what rumors about me already exist."

"I was never of the perception that you were necessarily evil, whether you were Sailor Titan or not," Hotaru explained. "I was once just as angry, bitter and twisted as you. Dark forces can clutch onto the heart of anyone. And dark experiences can lead anyone to darker outcomes."

"What makes you think that what I believe is wrong?" Seisui asked.

"I know the motivation of those in the royal household," Hotaru continued. "While your opinions are not unfounded, I know the reasoning that led to some of those unhappy conclusions."

"What, you mean demotion?" Seisui replied, anger beginning to creep into her voice. "That unhappy conclusion? Is that what you think I'm unhappy about...?"

"I don't know," Hotaru replied calmly. "They're your feelings. Only you can explain them."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Seisui hastily replied, fighting with her emotions.

"I think you do, Seisui; and I would like you to answer my question. If I know, then I can help you. If I don't, you may meet the same fate as your father. Don't worry--I won't crucify you for your opinions."

"You're lying!" Seisui exclaimed.

"I'm not lying. I know your situation too well to blame you because of it."

"I don't care if you blame me or not," Seisui replied, her voice edgy. "You've already crucified me. I am now the most disgusting person to everyone on this planet. Henceforth, the sight of me inspires hatred, loathing, even violence. Before my life was a small drop in the endless sea of human suffering; I was ridiculed, but many other people were as well, and even for lesser reasons. But now I am as hated as much as the queen is loved; I am the very embodiment of everything that everyone despises."

"Seisui..." Usako murmured, tears forming in her eyes.

"Are those feelings enough for you?" Seisui sobbed. "Well? Are you happy, now that you know how I feel? Would you like to come to school like me tomorrow morning? Would you like to get beaten and stared at like a criminal?"

Hotaru said nothing.

"Well? Well?"

"Those were not the feelings I wished to know," Hotaru said, her voice quiet and sad. "Though they are certainly not hard to sympathize with."

"You think I'm Sailor Titan, don't you?" Seisui continued to cry. By now, she had begun to attract stares; people were curious about the interaction that was taking place.

"I do," Hotaru responded guiltily, wishing she could reply with words of comfort instead of those that were likely to inspire even more loathing and pain. "But I don't hold that against you. I believe you may be deceived, especially about the benevolence of your father."

"Why don't you take Seisui to the nurse's office?" Hiroshi suggested. "It's not good if she's crying with everyone gawking at her like this."

"I'm going too," Usako replied. "We should all go with her."

"No," Hotaru interjected, "I think she needs some time alone to regain her composure. You can talk to her later."

Usako looked uneasily at Hotaru; she was reluctant to leave Seisui in the care of someone that the girl had already taken an immediate dislike to. Hotaru, however, was her own best friend; she was also very wise, perhaps the wisest of anyone Usako had known, except for Setsuna. And so she nodded her unwilling approval as Hotaru pulled a reluctant Seisui upward and headed quietly toward the nurse's office, casting a silent but menacing glare on the crowd that was watching them.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Seisui," Hotaru apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you like that."

Seisui repressed a stuttering gasp as she walked blindly down the hallway. After her outburst, the order of things had gotten fuzzy; she was trying not to remember.

"I won't ask you any more questions right now," Hotaru continued. "I won't tell anyone, either, if you tell me something you don't want anyone else to hear."

"Liar," Seisui murmured. "You're lying."

"Seisui, I--" Hotaru began.

"What are you doing?" a masculine voice interrupted her. Hotaru looked up. A towering, Anglo-saxon figure stood well over a foot above her; he looked down on her menacingly. Hotaru, in spite of herself, couldn't help feeling a little intimidated.

"Erik..." Seisui trailed off in her tears, surprised to see him.

"I'm taking Seisui Han'i to the nurse's office," Hotaru explained quietly, "she needs some time to regain her composure."

"The composure that you made her lose...?" he asked somewhat accusingly. "Or at least, that's the way it looked back in the lunch yard."

"That was a misunderstanding, I assure you," Hotaru replied.

Erik stared down at Hotaru for a moment, debating how he should react. before he had time to make a decision, the sound of running footsteps could be heard clicking on the smooth tile floor.

"Seisui!" Tokimo's voice shouted as she lunged toward Hotaru. "Seisui!"

Hotaru had only just turned toward the sound of her shrill voice when Tokimo lunged forward, diving her fist toward her face. Hotaru narrowly missed the punch by pulling her face aside.

"Tokimo!" Erik reprimanded. "Is punching someone in the face the only way you can deal with your problems?"

"She made Seisui cry!" Tokimo responded in outrage.

"It was a misunderstanding." Hotaru repeated. "I wasn't antagonizing her."

"Oh yeah?" Tokimo asked accusingly, "Why don't we ask Seisui if you were antagonizing her?"

"Seisui is in no condition to answer anyone's questions," Erik interjected. "However, I will escort her to the nurses office. You are probably not the person she would like to be crying in front of."

"I'll take her," Tokimo demanded.

"You can come along, Tokimo. Now...if you don't mind, Miss, I believe lunch is still in progress. It would probably be best if you returned to the schoolyard," Erik instructed Hotaru.

Hotaru paused. Both Erik and Tokimo appeared to be very stubborn and uncompromising people; she had no desire to get in the way of their wishes. Hotaru gently let go of Seisui's hand and bowed lightly as she turned back down the hallway.

Seisui, Hotaru knew, had not been in the right. But at the same time, the girl had been unfairly antagonized. If Hotaru found out Seisui's true intentions, and her motivation for trying to kill the queen, it would not be unfeasible to help her before the others intervened; to correct Seisui's behavior before it escalated too far once more.

* * *

"What are we doing?" Fuyuko asked as they walked down the tall, majestic hallway of the palace.

"Yeah," Akiko complained, "You turned off our alarms and you told the king we were sick. And you still haven't told us why."

"I needed to tell the King that you were sick so that we'd all be around during the day when the palace was empty. If I had told him that while you were awake, you wouldn't have known to play along." Haruko explained. "Of course, I didn't think you'd all sleep in until 11:00. By then, the King and Queen had come back for lunch."

"So?" Natsuko asked, perplexed. "Why does the fact that they came back for lunch matter?"

"I couldn't tell you what we were doing while they were around; then they might have heard us."

"Okay," Akiko replied snappishly, continuing to follow Haruko down the hall. "So now that the King and Queen are gone, would you mind telling us where the hell we're going?"

Haruko paused a moment, glancing around quickly to see if there were any servants around. Most of the time they didn't bother to listen to the intricate or confusing affairs of the Sailor Senshi, anyway, but she didn't want to take the chance of them overhearing .

"We're going to the Control Room," Haruko informed them.

"The Control Room?" Fuyuko repeated in surprise. "But we aren't allowed in there. Only the adults are allowed in there."

"We were around back in the 20th century, weren't we?" Haruko told her as they approached the large, intricately adorned double doors.

"Well, yeah..." Fuyuko responded.

"That was over a thousand years ago, wasn't it?" Haruko continued.

"Well...yeah..." Fuyuko repeated.

"Then we're adults, right?"

"You know that's not what she meant!" Natsuko interjected, standing between Haruko and the towering doors. "The fact is, we're subordinates. Only the King, Queen and Planetary Senshi are allowed past these doors. As far as our experience as Senshi goes, we're still incredibly green. We've never really fought an enemy before!" she added in indignation.

"Yes, we have," Haruko disagreed, gently moving Natsuko aside as she swung the door open a tiny crack, "We've fought the Moon Senshi."

At this, the Sailor Quartet exchanged nervous glances with each other.

"I don't really think that's the same," Natsuko replied uneasily. "The Moon Senshi aren't like normal enemies."

"You're right," Haruko said. "They're a lot worse. Even though they're our enemies, they aren't possessed or corrupted by Chaos. They've genuinely convinced themselves of the righteousness of their twisted motives--some grudge against the royal family for a crime that some dead Queen, not our Queen Serenity, committed. And," she continued, peeking inside the control room to confirm that no one lay within, "Seisui Han'i is one of them. Not only that, but she's managed to dupe the princess into believing that she's her friend...and that she's not a Moon Senshi. No, these enemies aren't the same. They're much, much more dangerous."

"Great. Fine. Whatever," Akiko said with a sigh. "But why are we going in here?"

"To find out about Councilor Han'i," Haruko replied, swinging the doors open and motioning them to go inside.

The Asteroids hesitated; no one wanted to be caught in the Control Room.

"If you're afraid," Haruko announced, "it's better to go in and hide in here than to be caught walking inside."

The Sailor Quartet quickly ushered themselves through the door as the huge, formidable screen of the Control Room's computer loomed far above them, its height stretching from the ceiling to the floor.

"Why are we trying to find out about Councilor Han'i?" Akiko asked, her patience wearing thin. "I don't see what he has to do with the Moon Senshi--not directly, anyway. Isn't that all in the past now?"

"If Seisui is Sailor Titan--and it looks like she is--then revenge is probably her primary motivation, and not for what happened to the Moon Senshi thousands of years ago by some other Queen. That was, after all, what Sailor Titan herself said." Haruko explained. "No--if it's Seisui, she'll be getting revenge for her father."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with what we're doing now?" Fuyuko asked.

"I'm getting there!" Haruko said in annoyance. "So Seisui wants revenge, right? For what? Because her father was demoted," Haruko explained. "At first, I didn't think much of it. But it's been bugging me. Think of the way everyone's been reacting to this. Sure, we know that Han'i criticized the queen, and we know that the Queen is sensitive. I can understand why, under the circumstances, he was demoted." Haruko paused. "But the way everyone has been reacting...the extreme way that they first disliked Seisui... and the way Seisui was willing to, of all things, get killed for revenge! Don't you think it's a little suspicious?"

"I don't know...is it?" Fuyuko asked in confusion.

"That couldn't be all there is to it," Haruko continued animatedly. "There has to be something else."

"And so you're going to find out?" Akiko asked skeptically. "Why? So you can pride yourself in the knowledge that you know whatever horrible secret you think that the royal family is hiding about Councilor Han'i?"

"No," Haruko snapped. "Because if we know what kind of danger could have been involved with Councilor Han'i--if we know what kind of motives and ideas he really held--then we may have the power to convince Usako what kind of danger she's really in."

"I will admit," Natsuko replied, "That there's danger in Usako's close friendship."

"Right," Haruko agreed. "And we're going to find out just how dangerous it really is."

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am," Erik apologized as he opened the door to the nurse's office. The clean, white room was devoid of all life, save the small, unobtrusive figure of the nurse.

"Oh my..." she said, immediately noticing Seisui's condition. "Would she like somewhere to sit down alone...?"

"Not alone!" Tokimo interjected in annoyance. "With me! I'll stay with her."

"Well...if she doesn't mind. Do you mind, dear?"

Seisui shook her head weakly.

"Very well then. I'll show you to a room where you can calm down in privacy."

"I'll take her," Erik announced. "In the corner, right?"

The nurse paused. "Alright, then," she said hesitantly. "If you think that's best."

Erik nodded and walked quietly toward a small, unobtrusive door near the corner of the office as Seisui and Tokimo followed behind him.

"Here you are," he said calmly, opening the door. "You can tell me what happened later, Seisui." He turned toward Tokimo a bit warningly. "Don't go prying, okay, Tokimo?"

Tokimo nodded. "I'm Seisui's friend. I already know what's bothering her!" Tokimo announced. Erik was hit by the strangeness of this remark; Seisui had spent little time with Tokimo since she had been at high school. Usually, she was with Usako. Usako had even been there when the incident occurred, but it appeared that she had done little to stop what was evidently harassment from that teacher. But now was not the time to be pondering these things. What had gone on between Seisui and the teacher was a question that would have to wait for later.

"You can go away now," Tokimo said, peeved that he hadn't left yet. He inclined his head slightly as he left the room.

* * *

Seisui sat down on the small bed in the nurse's office. Tokimo waited; Seisui must have flat out bawled for a minute or two before she could speak articulately enough for Tokimo to understand her. Trying to press Seisui for anything when she was this upset was useless; Seisui would just have to cry off some of her frustration.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled once her tears had subsided. Tokimo grabbed a tissue box and casually handed it to Seisui. Seisui blew her nose five or six times. That was a lot of snot, Tokimo thought, both impressed and disgusted.

"Don't be sorry," Tokimo replied. "It doesn't matter if you're sad, and I don't care if you cry. You have every right."

"It must have been embarrassing for you."

"Nah. I'm always embarrassing myself. I don't care what other people think. If I did, I wouldn't act like such a goofball all the time."

Seisui looked up in surprise. "You act that way on purpose...?"

"Kind of," Tokimo confessed. "I really am a goofball, though." She grinned. "And that's the best way to be!"

"Doesn't it bother you that it chases people away?"

"Of course not! It's great! I can weed out the annoying ones this way. If anyone can't figure out just how cool Tokimo is, they don't deserve to hang around me! Like Yamiko. I mean, just look at her. What a miserable, whiny, annoying person. She could never appreciate my mastah skillz."

Seisui smiled, wiping away another round of tears.

"So what happened, Seisui?" Tokimo asked. "What did the teacher do to you...?" Tokimo looked warily back and forth. "Is she one of those...perverted teachers?"

Seisui shook her head. "No. Actually..." she paused, "she's Sailor Saturn."

"Sailor Saturn?!" Tokimo repeated in surprise. "Why's she here?"

"She was sent to watch Usako."

"To watch Usako..." Tokimo trailed off.

"Do you know why?" Kouken asked, sticking his head out of Tokimo's backpack.

"Shut up, Kouken." Tokimo interjected, shoving his head back into the backpack. "You're not supposed to talk, remember?"

"But we're alon--"

"Tututututut!" Tokimo cut him off, shoving her hand over the top of the backpack. "You're not supposed to talk. Ever. Remember, ferrets don't talk. So you better not talk, or I'll have to call the vet."

"Let him talk this time," Seisui suggested meekly. "He might have some valuable information."

Tokimo paused. "I'm sorry, Seisui. I thought you said something really crazy just now. I must have misheard you. Would you mind repeating yourself?"

Seisui raised an eyebrow. "Uh..."

"Oh, fine," Tokimo sighed in defeat, lifting her hand off the backpack. "What do you want?"

"As I was saying," Kouken huffily continued, "do you know why Saturn was sent to look after Usako?"

"No," Seisui replied. "She didn't say why. But I imagine it has something to do with me and my visit to the castle."

"It's probably because they think you're Sailor Titan, and you're Usako's 'friend'," Tokimo replied. "They're trying to catch you transforming. Or maybe they're trying to end it once and for all the next time you show up."

"That reminds me," Kouken said thoughtfully, "we need to come up with another plan. The faster we can finish this, the better."

"How about we run out into the schoolyard and kick Usako's ass?" Tokimo suggested.

"No!" Kouken snappishly replied, looking toward Tokimo in frustration. "A plan that isn't stupid. One that you didn't come up with."

"Today might be a good day..." Seisui suggested quietly, "since the Asteroids aren't around."

"That's true..." Kouken agreed, his voice trailing off thoughtfully. "But Sailor Saturn is here. And she's probably as powerful as all of them combined."

"We won't have to worry about her if I can get Usako alone," Seisui replied, "Which will be a lot easier now. If I can catch Usako at the end of lunch, I can narrow it down to at least Usako and Hiroshi, and maybe Usako alone."

"How will you do that?" Tokimo asked. "The two of them stick together like paper and glue."

"Usako would probably understand if I wanted to talk to her alone," Seisui explained. "She'd probably respect my confidentiality."

"That isn't a bad idea..." Kouken mused. "Although, you'll miss class..."

"It's a great idea!" Tokimo interrupted. "Best ever!"

Kouken glared at Tokimo disapprovingly, but her happiness didn't relent under his frivolous scolding, and her response was a "V" sign and a broad grin.

"Follow me up to the door to the lunch yard," Seisui began, "And be watching me, just like at the movie theater. Once me and Usako are alone, you can ambush her. I'll run off and join you shortly after."

"Okay!" Tokimo responded cheerfully. "This time, we'll definitely, definitely get her!"

"Yeah," Seisui responded. In truth, she was a little nervous about the fight; she was afraid of failing again. But she had had enough. She didn't want to spend another day in Usako's company, and she didn't want to live as a slave to the whims of the Crystal Palace. That thought was enough to overwhelm her fear of losing.

* * *

It was a lucky thing for Seisui that Usako seemed lost in her thoughts; while everyone else was beginning to head back to class, she was still sitting dazedly in the corner of the lunch yard. Hiroshi was sitting next to her; Hotaru was exchanging a few rushed words with them and looking frequently back toward the door. She knew full well that whatever her other duties might be, she now had to convincingly fake being a teacher. Missing a class wouldn't be the best way to play her part.

Seisui watched all of this carefully and analytically, trying to find the best place to spring unexpected upon her target. Hotaru waved to Usako and headed toward the door. There was at least a good yard or two between them; the minute Hotaru went in the door, she would come out.

"Seisui..." Hotaru said in a tone of mild surprise as she walked through the door, "do you feel well already?"

"Yes," Seisui responded, trying to hide the nervous tinge in her voice. "I just came to pick up my lunch. I forgot it when I left."

"Oh, I see." She paused. "Try to look up, won't you, Seisui?" she encouraged her gently.

"I will." Seisui dully promised. Hotaru gave her a small smile as she continued down the hallway in troubled thought.

Seisui walked out the door and into the lunch yard. Now, there was nothing between her and Usako; nothing except for a couple feet of dirt and grass. Hiroshi was beside her, but there was nothing he could do to keep her from transforming and sending a volley of sharp, dark teeth straight through Usako's heart.

But that wasn't the plan. And Hiroshi might find some way to stop her.

"Usako," Seisui said sadly, translating her disappointment and nerves into anxiety, "Usako, can I talk to you...?"

Usako paused. She would be late for class; but Seisui was more important than class, more so now than ever.

"Yeah," Usako replied. "You can always talk to me and Hiroshi."

"Can I talk to you alone?" Seisui asked pleadingly.

Usako looked at Hiroshi; he smiled encouragingly.

"I have to go to class, anyway," he told her. "No reason for both of us to be late."

He waved and walked away; Usako knew he was wishing her luck. She was glad that she would be able to help Seisui, however; she was even more glad that she had come back to her after Hotaru had taken her away to cry alone. Crying was never meant to be done alone, Usako thought sadly. Crying was something you did because you were alone, and continuing to be alone would only provoke more tears.

"What is it that you want to talk to me about, Seisui?" she asked sympathetically.

There was a long silence.

"I don't know," Seisui answered unhappily. "I don't know."

"You don't know...? What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't know!" Seisui replied angrily. "I don't know anything. I don't understand. Why? Why is this happening to me?" she asked, more to the yard itself than to Usako. "When did I become cursed? When was this curse put upon me?"

"The curse began long before you were born," the voice of Sailor Charon announced angrily. "It began with the godforsaken moon above us."

The metal door in front of Charon swung forwards as she walked toward them, out from the hall and into the lunch yard. As Charon continued stepping forward, her naginata was pointed toward Usako, and she was poised to fight.

"And that is how it will end, too," she finished angrily. Seisui backed off to the side as Sailor Charon approached them, trying to look nervous and afraid. Seisui paused a moment, pretending to be stunned by the sight. Then she ran off, back into the school so that she could transform and end this once and for all. Finally, finally, she thought, she could end this.

* * *

Seisui shoved the school doors aside and she headed down the nearest hallway she could find. There was no one there; not a soul had seen her enter, and everyone was in class. It would be easy; no one would know what Seisui Han'i was doing or where she had gone.

"Titan prism power, make up!" she said as quietly as possible. Dark tendrils of a thick, black liquid wrapped around her as her senshi fuku formed.

* * *

At that moment, Yamiko Hoshino felt like she was being watched.

It was a dull, droning period; algebra was seldom known as a subject that riveted its students, and her monotonous teacher did nothing to remedy its natural tendencies.

But something was nagging at the back of her mind; and, in spite of herself, she couldn't help looking anxiously behind her and back toward the classroom door.

Yamiko barely managed to stifle a gasp. There was very little visible through the slit of window in the classroom door; but a distinctly sinister slice of The Crimson Eagle's iron mask could be discerned. Yamiko paled and turned around. If she pretended he wasn't there, she wouldn't have to go. She could just stay here in algebra class. She wouldn't have to fight.

Yamiko could feel sweat dripping down her forehead. The feeling of being watched continued to hound at her; what kind of trouble would she get in if she didn't go? Was The Crimson Eagle bold enough to step into the classroom? And then there was the issue of her conscience. Seisui's demented face... the image of her, grinning eerily above Usako's mutilated corpse. Yamiko wanted to believe that Seisui wasn't that far out of her mind, but she knew that she was. She had seen that gleam in her eyes, the gleam that let some part of Yamiko know that she had the heart of a monster.

Yamiko hunched over. She knew he was there. She knew he wasn't going to leave. He was trying to make her do this. She didn't want to get involved. Was that bad? Why should she get involved?

Could she let Seisui and Tokimo kill the Princess, when she knew she might have stopped them?

Yamiko raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Hoshino?" her teacher asked lazily.

"May I go to the restroom?" she nearly squeaked, nervous from the insanity of what she was about to do and embarrassed for asking such an immature question. No one asked to go to the bathroom during class; not unless they really had to go.

"I suppose," the teacher replied disapprovingly.

Yamiko walked rather unwillingly toward the classroom door and into the hallway; The Crimson Eagle backed away from the door as she opened it. She looked down sullenly, the sight of his thick leather boots meeting her eyes.

"I suppose you want me to fight again," Yamiko said with a sigh.

"Unless you want Sailor Pinkmoon to die."

"No..." she replied blandly. "I'm not like Seisui and Tokimo. I don't want someone innocent to die, no matter how little I wish to become involved with all of this."

The Crimson Eagle turned around; Yamiko, once she had looked up and down the hallway to make sure no one was around, raised her hand above her head, resigned.

"Phoebe prism power, make up!" she exclaimed, darkness quietly enveloping her as she transformed.

"Let's go," The Crimson Eagle told her as she finished.

"Go where?" Sailor Phoebe asked.

"The yard. I have an ill feeling."

* * *

"I've had enough of you!" Sailor Charon shouted, her naginata pointed toward Usako.

"I know you want to be rid of Diana, but--"

"This isn't about Diana anymore!" Sailor Charon interrupted, her voice filled with fury. "This is about you, and what you've done to the people I care about!"

"What have I done?" Usako asked fearfully. "Who have I hurt? I've tried to be nice to everyone. I haven't been cruel to anyone...not that I know of."

"No matter how noble your intentions might be, you've hurt someone beyond repair. You pretend to care, but you don't. You just want to impress your ideals on someone you think is flawed. You trampled on their beliefs, and you mindlessly follow the words of your mother. You're so blinded by your own ideas of right and wrong that you and your mother let it destroy the heart and soul of someone else."

Charon paused. A train of dark clouds was moving along the sky; a spring rain was going to fall. "That's why... that's why I'm going to kill you."

"I don't want to hurt you," Usako said quietly. "I don't even know right from wrong anymore. The things that I was taught to believe are slowly being chipped away. What you say isn't true. I am loyal to what I have been taught; because I do not believe it to be wrong, merely flawed."

"The one who is flawed is you!" Sailor Titan shouted as the doors of the school building crashed open and she ran onto the grass, now damp with a lightly falling rain.

Usako put her head down. "Pink crystal moon power, make up!" she shouted as a flurry of pink swirled around her and she transformed into Sailor Pinkmoon.

"I'm not flawed. Not any more than anyone else."

"I'm not going to listen to you!" Sailor Titan cried, raindrops collecting in her ocher bangs. "Never again! I'll never listen to you again!"

She ran forward, her arms slightly extended at her sides as a volley of oozing, black liquid began to stream down them.

"Black stream death!" She cried, reaching her arms forward as the liquid formed strange mouths with vicious teeth and flew toward Sailor Pinkmoon, ripping apart her sleeves and the edges of her collar, biting mercilessly into the skin beneath.

The sound of the schoolyard door could be heard opening again; Sailor Charon swerved around to meet a figure standing silently in the doorway, holding a great polearm that equaled her own.

"Sailor Saturn," she said aloud, frowning at her turn of bad luck.

"Please!" Sailor Pinkmoon exclaimed. "Allow me to take care of them on my own."

"You're too badly outnumbered," Sailor Saturn replied calmly. "You'd have no chance. Don't worry. I won't interfere between you and Seisui."

"She isn't Seisui!" Sailor Pinkmoon objected.

Sailor Saturn said nothing, but turned toward Sailor Charon expectantly.

"I'll take care of Saturn, Sailor Titan," Sailor Charon shouted, turning toward her comrade, "Do what you came here to do."

Sailor Titan nodded as Charon held out her own glimmering blade and grinned a deadly challenge. Sailor Saturn ran toward her, her glaive extended; their huge, graceful weapons clashed against each other and rang into the dank yard. Sailor Saturn slowly began to turn as they fought; she was working her way toward Sailor Titan and Pinkmoon, trying to put herself next to Pinkmoon without interfering in Titan and Pinkmoon's fight. Sailor Charon paid no attention to her, however; her mind was too occupied with parrying Saturn's blade.

"Do you really have the heart to kill me?" Sailor Pinkmoon asked. "Titan, what is the purpose of this fight?"

"Black stream death!" Sailor Titan shouted in response, another round of creatures slowly tearing at Usako.

"It's no good," Sailor Saturn murmured, "she can't keep this up."

"Please," Sailor Pinkmoon implored. "I promise we can find a way around Diana."

"Black stream death!" Sailor Titan repeated, wounding Sailor Pinkmoon once more. Now Sailor Pinkmoon was on the ground, bleeding badly. She began to cry; she was caught up in the futility of her task, and crippled by her inability to sink to Sailor Titan's level, to solve the problem by eliminating its source.

It was then that the doors swung open for the last time during the confrontation.

For a moment, they all paused; even Sailor Titan turned to see two dark figures in the doorway, one menacing and angry, the other merely lonely and forlorn. Sailor Saturn ran in front of Sailor Pinkmoon, taking advantage of the distraction to put herself between Titan and Pinkmoon.

Sailor Phoebe paused for a moment; her eyes immediately met those of Sailor Saturn. Something about the calm, deadly composure of the woman filled her with both fear and loathing; Saturn's face reminded her of some past horror.

_A light, silence. A soldier in purple. A glaive...water... everywhere... She had to escape the glaive, the ominous ice-white blade of death--_

"I don't know how much we can do here," the Crimson Eagle told Phoebe. "But above all else, we must protect them."

"Y-yes," Sailor Phoebe replied absentmindedly, her eyes still filled with Sailor Saturn's ice-cold gaze. "Right."

Sailor Titan turned back toward Sailor Pinkmoon, not caring who else was there; she barely even noticed Sailor Saturn. Her eyes were only on Small Lady Serenity.

"Black stream death!" she screamed. The vicious mouths again reached toward Sailor Pinkmoon. Their number and speed had decreased, though Sailor Titan, in her fury, did not notice or care.

"Silence wall!" Sailor Saturn exclaimed, a translucent purple dome forming around her and Sailor Pinkmoon. The attack continued hurtling toward it, unheeding; but when the jaws reached the surface, they flew into a thousand directions, unable to penetrate the powerful shield around the two senshi.

Sailor Titan paused.

"Black stream death!"

This time, the mouths hovered in front of the dome for a brief second, ramming into it and tearing futilely at the shield with their teeth.

"Don't waste your energy," Sailor Saturn told her, "You can't hope to penetrate this shield. If you continue to attack, you'll only waste your power. We won't punish you, Seisui, because of what you've done before. There's no need for this bloodshed."

Sailor Titan paused; Sailor Pinkmoon looked forlorn. Pinkmoon, no matter how strong the evidence, could not allow herself to believe that her gentle friend was this furious, vengeful girl.

"Black stream death!" she screamed. Again, her attack was useless; it didn't penetrate the shield. The vicious creatures did not even touch the dome before disappearing again.

Sailor Titan fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Her heart was numb; her mind was focused, but she was powerless to do anything. She paused for a moment, panting heavily. The attacks were draining her energy. She doubted she could execute it even once more.

"Black...Stream..._Death_!" she said, her voice rising in a tortured scream.

At first, there was silence, and Sailor Titan could feel the sting of failure piercing her heart.

But slowly, surely, dark liquid spiraled up from her hands. The myriad mouths formed once more; they began a slow dive toward Pinkmoon. Then they began to twist, contort, spiral into something strange and terrifying. Pinkmoon felt fear take hold of her as the torso of a man formed; black as coal and wielding a halberd, a look of utter contempt on his face.

That was what was terrifying to Pinkmoon; this was not an it. This was a him. The look on his face was not the look of a servant, of a creature with no soul that merely performs one task and then is gone; it was the look of a living, breathing creature that thinks, feels and loves. And this creature had come from Sailor Titan's hands, and was made from the same substance as meaningless, vicious mouths she'd seen over and over again. What kind of Sailor Senshi brought forth a creature of feeling and thought from her own hands?

Sailor Titan fell backwards; the man leapt back inside her hands again, and her eyes became vacant and senseless.

"Titan!" Sailor Charon screamed, running toward Sailor Titan and clutching her protectively. The Silence Wall disappeared, and Sailor Pinkmoon ran toward Sailor Titan as well, kneeling down next to Charon.

"Is she okay?" Pinkmoon asked in concern.

"Get away!" Sailor Charon hissed, hugging Titan defensively. "Get away from her!"

Tokimo could feel the black water oozing along her gently as Sailor Titan's power vanished away and returned her into the small, vulnerable form of Seisui.

"Don't look at her!" she snapped, turning her back toward Sailor Pinkmoon. "Don't look at her!"

"If we look at her now, this will be settled once and for all." Sailor Saturn told Pinkmoon. "Chibi-Usa...you have to know the truth."

Sailor Saturn walked slowly toward Sailor Charon; Charon began shivering. They mustn't see her, she thought. If they see her, what little hope we have is lost. She clutched Seisui, buried her head in her chest. Cover the face, she thought. If they can't see her face, there still might be some doubt.

"If you move aside, we can heal her," Sailor Saturn told Sailor Charon, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "Please let go of her."

"No!" She screamed. "_No_!!"

"Move aside," Sailor Saturn commanded. "Please move aside."

"Don't look at her!"

Sailor Saturn pulled Sailor Charon's shoulder, gently trying to pry her away from Seisui's limp form.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I promise I won't tell the other Senshi that Seisui is Sailor Titan."

"_No_!!" Charon sobbed. "Go away! _Go Away_!"

Sailor Saturn widened her eyes in surprise; Sailor Charon's form was slowly becoming a blur of dark purple; the space around her was distorting and disappearing.

"I'm sick of her getting hurt," Sailor Charon murmured. "I'm sick of watching her suffer because of you."

The purple space gathered together; only the outline of Charon and Seisui remained. Then, all at once, they vanished, leaving nothing but cold rain and the awed faces of the four remaining soldiers.

"Who was that..?" Sailor Saturn asked in awe. "Who was she..?"

"That was Sailor Charon," Sailor Pinkmon replied.

Charon. That was the moon of Pluto, Sailor Saturn remembered. Pluto was the soldier of time space; but even she didn't teleport at will, at least, not so easily as that. Sailor Charon seemed to be the ultimate in anomalies; after all, she apparently had no access to the gate of space and time, and Saturn hadn't even seen her use her magic to attack. But the ability to teleport like that--that was something not to be treated lightly. And Sailor Titan's desperate attack... if that man had reached her silence dome, she doubted that she could have repelled him.

"Shadow Dragon!"

Sailor Saturn turned in surprise; a huge dragon of cloudy darkness was hurtling toward her. She felt herself sliding backward on the slick, damp grass, gasping for breath.

"I never realized it," Sailor Phoebe said angrily, her voice calling across the yard, "Not until now. It was you."

She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly, her eyebrows wrinkled in anguish.

"You killed me."

_EPISODE FIVE: FIN_

* * *

Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite  
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne  
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba  
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara  
Lulululu...

Softly mumbling, "Don't cry," to myself,  
I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I'm not at fault, right? It's everyone else's fault, right?  
If you think so too, if you'll believe in me,  
I'll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny

Lulululu...

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Yamiko: **Old memories resurface, and anguish returns. The long-lost memories of the past haunt me in my battle, but my fears of the present overcome me. Fear is the master of humanity, and danger brings forth perilous information.

**Seisui:** The legacy of my father comes to greet me; my mother, in failure, delivers all to my eyes. And when an unexpected visitor calls, my inner anguish can no longer be held back. Behold, my ghost of a father and the memories he left behind.

**Yamiko: **The truth behind Seisui's father finally comes to my eyes. Enlightened to her suffering, my conscience is in conflict. Who is right? All sense of morality is lost in a conflict between two sides, both of which can never truly be justified nor proven to be wrong.

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Honorable Betrayal"_

**Seisui: **Evil returns to those who create it.

* * *


	6. Episode Six: The Honorable Betrayal

"Isn't this a little dangerous, Haruko?" Akiko asked, looking warily over her shoulder as Haruko turned on the giant computer and fidgeted with its myriad switches. "I mean, what if the King and Queen come back early?"

"That's a chance we're going to take," Haruko responded, accessing the record files and moving toward the keyboard in The control room. The tiny pad of arranged letters was almost laughable next to the assortment of huge switches that surrounded it. Haruko's hands moved across the keyboard swiftly as it typed "Councilor Han'i" into the search bar; then she lightly pressed a huge button and the computer began searching it's records for matches.

The other three girls paused for a moment; but curiosity overcame nervousness, and they found themselves huddling around Haruko for the best view of the screen, even though it was perfectly visible from anywhere in the room. Seconds later, a list of matches popped up; video files, audio files and text records of the daily events in the castle.

"Alright!" Fuyuko grinned in excitement. "Whazzit say, whazzit say?"

"Well," Haruko replied, "let's try the first match."

* * *

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Six:

"The Honorable Betrayal"

* * *

Haruko nonchalantly pulled down another huge switch as the record--this one was a video--fired up. An image quickly appeared in a small window; a tall, attractive man stood before a crowd. The video appeared to have been taken by a civilian, since the quality was a little sub-par, and the view was far from perfect.

"Zoom it in!" Akiko complained. "Can't you zoom it in?"

"Cool it!" Haruko snapped. "I'm not really that familiar with this thing. We usually can't go in here, remember? I only know because the King let me in a couple of times to look at some historical records."

"Why?" Fuyuko asked.

"I don't remember! School project, or something like that," she explained in annoyance.

By the time Haruko had finished her explanation, the figure situated behind the wooden podium had begun to speak. His tone was serious and grave; the crowd looked on in surprise.

"We have lived under the rule of Neo Queen Serenity for over a thousand years," he began. "Our Queen is loved and respected as the savior of us all. But why?"

He paused for a moment; for dramatic effect, Haruko decided.

"The King and Queen constantly evade their responsibilities. They avoid meetings and councils; then, when the Queen finds out that a decision has not gone as she wishes, she whines like a child deprived of a toy until the decision is revoked. Although the Queen pretends to be concious of the wishes of foreign ambassadors, she seldom takes them seriously or listens to their desire to preserve the currency, government, or the structures of their old cities, favoring unecessary changes that she feels are improvements. The countries of the world watch as their cultures fade away, but the Queen sees old culture as something that has merely gone out of fashion. The queen has no interesting in solving the world's problems; she merely nurses public love through superficial kindness, covering a sluggard attitude toward world events with parades, holidays and parties."

The Asteroids looked at each other in annoyance. True, the Queen did favor rebuilding some parts of the cities that were worn out; some of the cities had buildings that were thousands of years old and in danger of falling apart--others were merely out of repair. And the change to the uni-yen, the universal currency, was only natural considering that the world economy was united; and it should be united, now that the rightful heir to Earth was reborn.

"These, however, are merely small faults in the Queen's regime; and though I do not expect perfect rulership, I will not tolerate the unchecked presence of these faults. But these are not the only reasons to question her rule. What about the Death Phantom and Nemesis? We have always thought that the Queen saved us by dispelling these invaders; but in reality, she may have been attracting them as well. After all, isn't Chaos drawn to the power of the Queen's crystal? We like to see the young men and women of Black Moon Family as villains who were easily swayed by the promise of power. But perhaps they were hoping for a change for the better. Perhaps they believed that with the destruction of the Queen, the Earth would be a peaceful planet once again, free of invaders. True, before her time, there were wars and disease; but there was seldom destruction of the horrible magnitude that Chaos has brought to this land not once, but twice! We ought not to stand for the cruelty and suffering she has brought upon us, however unintentionally!"

With this, he swept his right arm outward, attempting to rally the support of the people around him.

"The Queen stands before us as a hero in television, print and even religion, always depicted as a savior. But what kind of savior attracts evil to our lives? The presence of Chaos is practically a convenience to the queen, a way to turn her questionable place as the Queen of Earth into a holy throne that cannot be questioned. That is why--"

The end of his sentence could not be discerned. One man had begun to shout cries of anger against Han'i; soon, the rest of the crowd joined him, raising their fists and chanting for his exit. Han'i paused a moment, his face strained; a dark look of disappointment and hopelessness crossed his face. He backed reluctantly away from the podium, realizing his cause was lost; The crowd seemed satisfied with his exit, and they began to part their separate ways. The video clip abruptly zapped out and the computer returned to the Search screen.

"Who cares about him?" Akiko said in annoyance, arching her read eyebrows in disapproval. "Just some nut with extremist ideas."

"He did have _some_ valid points," Natsuko dissented. "After all, we do know that the Silver Crystal attracts Chaos--and Chaos has brought great destruction to Crystal Tokyo. I can understand why he might mistakenly see the queen as being Queen responsible."

"Still," Haruko objected, "even when it did bring destruction, it was always mended by the Queen's power. If Chaos had attacked and the Queen wasn't there, the consequences would have been much worse. The people of Earth would have been powerless to stop it."

"But if what Natsuko said is true, Chaos wouldn't have attacked earth. If he wanted the crystal, and the crystal wasn't there, then there would have been no point in attacking." Akiko said.

"We can't be so sure," Haruko replied, brushing a stray strand of pink hair aside. "Chaos is a being of pure evil. For all we know, it could have stopped in the area and just decided to blow up Earth for the fun of it."

The four girls paused, weighing this possibility over in their minds.

"In any case," Haruko continued, "I can't believe this is all there was to it. Sure, the speech would be enough to upset the royal family. Even enough to punish Han'i. But it doesn't approach the kind of fuss they were making about it when Seisui came over."

"Well, keep looking, then!" Akiko snapped, shoving aside Haruko and browsing through the documents and video clips relating to Councilor Han'i.

"Lessee..." Akiko began, looking through the titles of the search matches. "Court hearings... booring. Oh, hey, what's this?" she asked, highlighting a document entitled 'Diary Entry: Reflection on the Speech of Han'i.'

"It looks like a page in an electronic diary," Fuyuko observed.

"Obviously!" Akiko sighed in exasperation. "But whose is it? And why is it here?"

"It must be the King's," Haruko theorized. "The Queen would probably use a paper one, and nobody else comes in here enough to write a diary except the King."

"Why would he write a diary?" Natsuko asked.

"Probably for his own records," Haruko explained. "There's probably a lot of things that happen around here that it would be useful to take down, especially in an electronic diary, which isn't as liable to get damaged or stolen."

"Think it's password protected?" Akiko mused.

"Maybe," Haruko replied, "but I suspect not. Not many people go in here; for that matter, not many people _can_ come in here, and the King usually doesn't let other people paw through his records. Even if he did, he'd probably be right there watching them."

"In any case," Akiko said, "There're more diary entries than anything else. There must be almost fifty here!"

"Well, don't waste time going through all of them," Haruko instructed her. "Most of them will just be mentioning some boring meeting before anything having to do with this scandal came up. Look for titles that sound interesting."

"Well, this one looked pretty interesting," Akiko replied.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't bother. This is just about the speech we just saw. There's probably not going to be much that we haven't already heard in here, and I can pretty much guess what the reaction of the royal family was to that. We're looking for something we don't know."

"Jeez, fine." Akiko consented, exasperation evident in her voice. She skipped over about twenty more entries, most of them having do with--as Haruko had said--meetings from before the incident. She was beginning to debate the possibility of telling Haruko that it didn't really matter and that they should just go get something to eat when her cursor highlighted an entry that caught her interest.

"Diary Entry: A Frightening Incident," Akiko read aloud. "What did you think that means, Haruko?"

Haruko roughly pushed Akiko aside as she examined the title.

"I'm not sure," she responded. "The title is vague. Most of the titles were needlessly specific, but this one is just kind of...open ended."

"Well, let's open it and find out what it says!" Fuyuko suggested excitedly.

"Sounds good," Akiko said with a smirk, shoving Haruko aside as she clicked on the highlighted entry. "Lessee here... right... January 25th, 3007."

'I'm writing this entry the morning after the incident. I did not have the time or the energy to write it last night. I hesitate to write the events that conspired, for fear of recalling their disturbing nature, or even, that this document might be discovered. My ill will toward Han'i is strong, but if this news was revealed, it would ruin the life of his family; the public might riot their house, seeking vengeance--certainly, it would only be a matter of time before something unfortunate happened. I cannot deny that the temptation to unleash this cruel punishment is in me; but I cannot allow myself to give in to it. The others agree with me, and as shaken as my dear wife, Usako, may be, I believe she will feel the same way. I hate to even take the time away from her to write this entry, she is in such a state of shock and fear.'

"Get to the point, already!" Akiko snapped, interrupting the recital.

"Shut up and keep reading!" Natsuko retorted.

"Jeez. Fine..."

'Last evening, at approximately 8:30 PM, my wife retired early from a formal dinner party to which the heads of office and the royal council had been invited. She complained of a stomachache, most likely brought on from overeating. I wanted to accompany her, but she refused; she told me that I was needed at the party to make my guests feel welcome. I reluctantly agreed, since I knew that many officials would have taken our absence personally, and we had been absent at too many a meeting or gathering already. Serenity has had difficulty ruling since the incident with Nemesis; although she appears strong on the outside, I feel that matters of state are not what her heart or soul are made for. In the Crystal Tokyo we all saw gleam before our eyes so many years ago, we envisioned a paradise; but in reality, not even the brightest shining star can bring happiness to everyone. I have tried to stand by her side and support her, but I feel even my ability to encourage her is waning...

It must have been when she retired that Councilor Han'i left the room. He managed to follow the Queen upstairs and slip inside the bedroom behind her. When he shut the door behind him, my wife saw the dagger he was holding.

I am not sure how he was able to procure the weapon; they've been banned for centuries, at the Queen's own request. Councilor Han'i, it seems, had no respect for even the most good-natured and innocent of rules. He lunged at her, and and inflicted a gaping wound on her right shoulder. Serenity screamed, alerting the castle; I don't know how he expected to walk away from this crime unharmed. Once the castle was alerted, it was only a few moments before the Senshi interrupted them. The doctors say that the wound will take months to heal--that even...even though she's the invincible, shining Queen, even though the world heals faster and lives longer, that--just little to the left, and she would have been gone.

I cannot even imagine a punishment harsh enough to fit gravity of this crime. But my Usako, I am sure, will let him off with the mildest one possible. Purification is enough to render the angriest of criminals harmless, and I am sure that this is the solution she will choose. Demotion, of course, is inevitable, if not imprisonment. I would not even rule out banishment for a crime such as this. Until the Queen recovers, however, and a court can convene, he will be imprisoned. I hope that my dearest wife will recover soon; this is a criminal that cannot be allowed to exist long without being purged of his sins.'

There was a long period of silence; none of them could think of anything appropriate to say.

"Well..." Haruko began, breaking the silence. "It certainly explains why the royal family dislikes Han'i so much."

"I'm surprised he got such a mild punishment..." Natsuko observed. "He tried to kill her... how awful. Was that the only way he thought he could win? He was obviously the only one that was unhappy with the Queen. How could he feel justified in killing her when everything he thought was against everyone else's wishes?"

"He probably just thought people were too stupid to understand," Akiko said indignantly. "Most criminals like that do. They justify their actions by believing that everyone else isn't smart enough to understand that they're doing the right thing."

"A lot of people think that way," Haruko responded. "Most people think that they are the only ones who really know what's right and wrong."

"It's impossible to believe that what you believe is wrong," Natsuko agreed with a sigh.

"But what about all those mopey people?" Akiko objected. "People who think that everything about themselves is wrong."

"I suppose there are people like that," Haruko admitted. "People who live in continual self-doubt."

"Or maybe they're just lying." Fuyuko suggested.

"What? You mean, they only pretend to hate themselves?" Akiko asked skeptically.

Fuyuko shook her head animatedly.

"Nope. They don't really believe that everything about themselves is wrong. But everyone else believes that...so they try to convince themselves that what everyone else thinks must be true. But you can't banish a lifetime of beliefs. Everything you think is built on what you were taught before, and many of those lessons aren't forgotten that easily. So you can be honest to your own beliefs, and live with the hatred of other people...or you can live pretending you have their beliefs, killing yourself because it goes against what you have learned to believe is moral and just."

"That was... really confusing." Akiko replied.

"I think I kind of get it," Natsuko said. "If I think about it long enough."

"I think that would just make me even more confused..." Akiko disagreed.

"I don't think even Fuyuko understood what she just said," Haruko told them. "So there's no point in us thinking about it, either."

"That's not true!" Fuyuko stubbornly replied, "I knew exactly what I was saying. I'll even--"

"Wait!" Haruko interrupted her.

"Huh?"

"Shut up!" she repeated.

"But what are you--" Fuyuko began.

"I thought I heard something!" Haruko interrupted her. "Shut up, the lot of you."

Haruko ran up to the door, pressing her ear against the smooth, cool surface. She tried to concentrate on the noise outside; and sure enough, faint voices and footsteps could just barely be discerned through the door. And, Haruko thought anxiously, they were coming this way.

"Crap."

"Are we gonna get caught?" Fuyuko asked fearfully. "Who is it?!"

"I don't know," she responded. "I can't hear who it is, only that they're there. I don't even know if they're coming in here, but with our luck, they probably will."

"We should hide somewhere, shouldn't we?" Natsuko suggested.

"Where are we going to hide? If we leave, they'll definitely notice us. And there's certainly nowhere to hide in here."

"Well, shut up, anyway!" Akiko retorted. "We don't want them hearing us, at the very least."

The rest of them evidently agreed with her motion, and stopped talking.

"Absolutely not!" Endymion shouted, pushing the huge double doors to the control room wide open. A short, well-dressed man accompanied him. He had dirty blond hair, neatly trimmed but greasy.

"But Your Highness--"

"You know how Serenity and I feel about this. I don't care how horrible the criminal is. My conscience absolutely forbids a death sentence for anyone, no matter how severe the crime!"

They paused for a moment; Endymion surveyed the room and looked very disapprovingly toward the Quartet.

"What is this?" he asked. "What are you four doing here...? Whatever happened to being sick with a headache?"

They all turned guiltily toward Haruko.

"Haruko? Was this all your plan...?" he asked, dismayed at her blatant disobedience.

"Well... sir..." she began nervously.

Endymion, ignoring her reply, glanced at the screen. "These look like my journal files. Why were you going through my diary entries?"

"We wanted to know... about Han'i. We thought we could help Usako..."

"If you want to help Chibi-Usa," Endymion lectured them, "you'd best stay by her side and protect her, as is your duty. Rifling through the past is hardly going to help anything that's going on now. If anything, I would see this as neglecting your responsibility as her Sailor Guardians. Chibi-Usa is in a lot of danger right now. She can't do all of the work herself, and Helios is hardly fit for combat."

"We don't have any opportunities to help her," Haruko explained in frustration. "She doesn't give us any. She thinks that she can make the Moon Senshi see things her way. Even worse, she thinks that Seisui is her friend. We tried to tell her how dangerous it was, but our warnings only angered her, and made her unwilling to accept our help."

"And how did you think going through my private documents was going to help you?" Endymion asked in annoyance.

"I've always thought that everyone was a little too worked up over Seisui and her father. So I thought there must have been something important that we didn't know about; something that would merit that kind of response. Now that I know what kind of criminal Councilor Han'i really was--"

"Just what entries have you been reading, that you know about that?" he asked her in anger.

Haruko didn't say anything; she didn't have to, because Endymion knew soon enough. He walked briskly toward the computer screen; this time, he made a point of reading the text on the monitor. After that, he could tell well enough what Haruko had been looking at. He quickly pushed a button and the screen blipped off. Then he turned around and looked upon them in grave judgment.

Akiko clenched a fist and looked bravely back at him. "It was wrong of you to keep Usako--Lady Serenity--in the dark like this. Because of it, Seisui may end up killing her! None of us had any clue how dangerous Councilor Han'i was. Whatever we already knew about him, none of us thought that he would--"

"I'd prefer you didn't speak of that," he said firmly.

"It's the truth, isn't it...?" Akiko replied in annoyance.

"Whether it's the truth or not is none of your concern. It's not your place to make judgments on whether any of my decisions are right or wrong, especially not when you've decided to make some questionable decisions of your own."

How could he criticize them for rummaging through his files, Akiko thought, when he persisted on keeping them in the dark? Especially on an important issue like this. No, this was definitely one thing she was not going to let go.

"How about this?" Akiko proposed, her voice teeming with scorn. "How about you tell us why the hell you didn't tell Usako about Councilor Han'i--especially when you found out about Seisui. If you do, we'll go back to school, be nice little guardians, and never mention it again."

"What are you doing, Akiko?" Natsuko asked in fearful shock. "This is our King!"

Endymion paused for a moment; his resentment subsided a bit, though he still had a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

He sighed. "If you already know I've been hiding this from Chibi-Usa, I suppose it's better that you understand why. Therefore, I shall explain myself; but you will not be returning here again--and I expect you to attend properly to your duties guarding Chibi-Usa from now on."

The four girls nodded, anxious to hear his explanation.

"As you know, Chibi-Usa was still in the past when all of this happened, so hiding the truth from her wasn't difficult. I probably should have told her, you're right; but as well as the anger that I felt toward Han'i, I also felt...I felt a little ashamed. Neo Queen Serenity has beaten Chaos many times, even in his most powerful forms. But Han'i wasn't Chaos; he wasn't even a Senshi. He was mortal. And while I have respect for my citizens, no mere human should have been able to come that close to killing the Queen. The wound that ran down her shoulder, even with rapid healing times, wasn't gone for months. She lost a huge amount of blood; it was difficult to find the supply we needed, and we didn't want to ask the public for fear the incident would be revealed. The royal family was shocked that something this extreme could have happened; and it wasn't only because he had come so close to killing the queen. He questioned her power without being brainwashed or corrupted; true, Serenity sometimes suffers from criticism, but it was shocking that someone hated her enough to murder her. I know her, and I know how much she loves her people. If people realized the mortality of the Queen, I thought they would lose faith in her. It was hard enough that what he was saying about Chaos and the Death Phantom was partially true; but it was even worse that he came so close to showing the world that her power and strength were within mortal reach. I would like to believe that people would stay loyal to the Queen because of their love for her, but..." he trailed off; his eyes became tired and resigned.

"But what?" Natsuko encouraged him to continue.

"The public is not what we thought it was," Endymion explained. "When we first began to rule Crystal Tokyo, we believed that the people were steadfast in their beliefs and strong in their morals. But people are fickle. Their respect for the queen and her power remains strong, but their faith in her beliefs is waning over the generations. Eternal peace and happiness eventually become hard for people to accept. Especially when that happiness becomes increasingly hard to maintain."

There was an awkward silence; even Haruko felt a little sorry for having looked through the files.

"But what about Lady Serenity?" Haruko finally asked, breaking the silence. "Queen Serenity is her mother. Surely you didn't think she would lose love and respect for her own mother...?"

Endymion paused for a moment; he gripped his scepter tightly. The light of the control room shone dimly on his golden crystal, causing small reflections to travel through its hazy golden center.

"...Chibi-Usa and Usagi have nearly identical power. They manifest themselves somewhat differently, but their source and their strength are the same. If Queen Serenity's power were to fail so easily, how would Chibi-Usa feel about her own?"

"Is that really it, though?" Fuyuko questioned. "After all, the Queen didn't even have time to retaliate. I'm sure Chibi-Usa would have understood that. Maybe there's another reason that you're thinking of...?"

"What do you mean?" Endymion inquired, his voice defensive.

"Maybe you were afraid Chibi-Usa would lose faith in Neo Queen Serenity and you," Fuyuko clarified.

"Why would I think that?"

"Chibi-Usa continues to grow away from your influence. I'm sure that both Helios and her training in the past have given her new confidence in her abilities. Even now, you see her questioning you, disagreeing with your decisions or becoming reluctant to accept them. Maybe you were uncomfortable with how she would react if she knew the power of the Kingdom had temporarily faltered? Maybe you were afraid she would lose respect for you, especially once she had reached an age where she was old enough to begin questioning you," Fuyuko continued.

"Questioning is only natural for her," Endymion responded. "Teenagers are always questioning their parents and their motives. Moreover, I hardly think something as serious as an attempt on Usako's life would encourage Lady Serenity to question parental authority--her first concern would be for her mother's safety. In any case, Chibi-Usa loves us; I know that beyond all doubt. Knowing about Han'i couldn't change that. "

"But that bond is breaking," Fuyuko said slyly. "Just look at Black Lady--then Helios, who she confides in before she would ever think of talking to you. And now, with Seisui--"

"That's enough, Fuyuko," Endymion told her. "Your past sometimes has disturbing ways of resurfacing."

Fuyuko lost her slyness; her face paled a bit and a grave expression crawled across her face. The memories of Neherenia, though distant, were still uncomfortable; and while the circumstances of the four girls had changed, their personalities had remained largely the same.

"I think I've explained myself far more than any of you needed to know. If I ever find you in here again, you can be sure the outcome will be very different. Now go back to school; Chibi-Usa needs you to protect her."

The Sailor Quartet nodded and left the control room without protest. Haruko was merely feeling thankful that things had gone as well as they had; and now she could convince Chibi-Usa to stay away from Seisui.

* * *

Endymion watched the Quartet gravely as they shut the door behind them.

"Was that really wise of you, sir?" the man asked, stepping forward.

"Yes, it was..." He told his councilor. "There was little I could have done in that situation that was wise. I think I choose the best outcome available to me."

"Perhaps you should lock the room, your Highness."

"That is exactly what I intend to do, Councilor vonDarkmoor. I also plan on locking everything else, including the windows to the Palace and the records on this computer. We've come to a dangerous time, I'm afraid. I may not be able to keep the Moon Senshi out, but I can at least keep out anyone else who they might give ideas. As for the Moon Senshi themselves, I've done as much as I can. Everyone is on their highest guard, and the Sailor Quartet should be especially watchful of Usako now that they know the truth about Han'i."

Endymion walked over to the computer; he punched in several commands, activating the locks and passwords in the Crystal Palace.

"You're a man who is very protective of his family, your highness," Councilor vonDarkmoor reflected.

"Yes," Endymion replied, "as is my duty."

* * *

"I never realized it," Sailor Phoebe said angrily, her voice calling across the yard. "Not until now. It was you."

She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You killed me."

"What are you doing, Sailor Phoebe?" the Crimson Eagle cried, walking toward her and pulling out his sword. "We're trying to create peace between the senshi, not further the conflicts between them!"

"She killed me!" Sailor Phoebe shouted. "I remember it now. Sailor Saturn drowned me. She could have killed me quickly, too, could have just run me through--but she drowned me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sailor Saturn interjected, "I've never seen you before today. I've never drowned anyone."

"I imagine you don't remember," Sailor Phoebe bitterly retorted. "After all, what was another life to you at that time? You killed many, many more Moon Senshi than you keep track of, I'm sure."

"I didn't even know the Moon Senshi existed before Sailor Pinkmoon told me about them," she replied calmly.

"Sailor Saturn wasn't alive during your time." Sailor Pinkmoon explained. "None of us were! Whoever did that to you, it wasn't us."

"How would you know? You certainly weren't alive back then," Sailor Phoebe nervously replied.

"If you tell me more, I might be able to find out the truth behind who really killed you," Sailor Saturn informed her. "If you blindly attack me, nothing will come of it."

"Shadow dragon!" Phoebe shouted, backing up somewhat nervously as a dark, smoky dragon hurtled toward Saturn.

"Silence wall!" Sailor Saturn cried in reply, the dome-like shield dispersing the shadow like a stray cloud.

"What do you think you're going to accomplish?" the Crimson Eagle asked her. "You aren't going to solve anything through this fighting! No matter how many times you attack her, it isn't going to change what happened in to you the past. You could be stopping this conflict, and instead, you're perpetuating it!"

"You have no right to ask me to stop," Sailor Phoebe angrily replied. "Nothing will come of your blind pacifism. You pretend to be stopping the conflicts between the two sides, but you never do. You just want to gratify your sense of justice by pretending that you can."

"I simply have no desire to harm where it is unnecessary. But whatever you think of my ability to resolve this struggle, It would be in your best interest to stop fighting. I doubt that you could hope to win against Sailor Saturn--or any of the other planetary senshi, for that matter."

Sailor Phoebe paused. Sailor Saturn was undaunted and unscathed; her glaive was still poised firmly in one hand, as though it were mocking Phoebe where she stood.

"I have as much power as she does!" Phoebe nervously replied.

"But do you have the strength to wield it properly?" he asked her.

"I do...I could."

"Even if you could, your energy could be better spent. Killing people helps no one. As I've told you, killing her won't change--"

"That's easy for you to say!" Sailor Phoebe snapped. "You weren't drowned. Your mother wasn't poisoned by--by her!"

The Crimson Eagle gripped his sword tightly. "And what do you know of my struggles? Were you there to witness them? How can you be so egotistical as to assume your problems are worse than mine?"

"How can you be so idealistic as to think that everyone will get along if you stand between them?" Sailor Phoebe asked.

"Even if I can't force people to get along, I can protect them from each other as long as I stand between them," he explained. "But you're only trying to divert the problem away from yourself. Why do you insist on using other people's faults to justify the presence of your own?"

"She may feel helpless to correct her own faults," Sailor Saturn answered him. "Finding more severe defects in other people may be a way of consoling herself."

Sailor Phoebe paused; anger and annoyance welled up within her. "Why do you think you know who I am and why I feel the way I do? Why should I place blame on myself when the problems are not my own? Why do people question me, when Seisui, who is cheating, fake, deceptive and cruel--is loved, pitied, given understanding?" she shouted angrily.

Usako had heard this before somewhere. Where? Whom?

_"Don't talk to me about self-hatred! I know more about that than you'd ever dare. And it's none of your business, anyway. Seisui gets everyone's sympathy because of what happened to her; not that it was even that bad."_

"Yamiko!" Usako exclaimed.

Sailor Phoebe paused, a frightened expression on her face. "Shadow dragon!" she shouted, the creature spiraling toward Sailor Saturn.

"Silence wall!" she shouted in reply, the creature dispersing once more. This time, she moved forward, her glaive held out. Sailor Phoebe thought about running away; but the cold, glaring thing before her, a nightmare from her past, paralyzed her with fear. Soon, it was poised in front of her throat; the glinting blade filled her with nauseating terror. Sailor Phoebe could feel shadows around her melting away, and the humble presence of her school uniform folding against her once more.

"It is Yamiko!" Sailor Pinkmoon said, surprised that she had been correct.

"Do you know this girl?" Sailor Saturn asked her.

"Yes. She, along with Tokimo, used Seisui. Seisui has a weak will because of the torment she suffered in her past; Yamiko and Tokimo took advantage of that. Or at least, that was the way I had understood it. Yesterday, Yamiko told me that wasn't true."

"Because it isn't true," Yamiko snapped. Her fear of the blade was crushing her; but Sailor Saturn seemed to have no real intention of killing her, so long as she didn't move.

"Then perhaps you could enlighten them," the Crimson Eagle suggested.

"I told you!" she replied in annoyance. "Seisui is Sailor Titan. Not only is she Sailor Titan; Tokimo is Sailor Charon. Are you so blind that you couldn't see them working against you all this time? Didn't you notice it? Just think. Something bad happens to Seisui. She breaks out in tears and asks you to help her. Sailor Charon attacks; then Seisui dashes away in shock...oooh, the poor little thing. Then Sailor Titan mysteriously appears moments later, both of them ready to laugh over your bloody body."

"Don't talk about Seisui that way!" Sailor Pinkmoon shouted in anger.

"But it's true, isn't it?" Yamiko challenged. "It's so easy to say 'Poor Seisui, her dad got demoted.' It's so easy to look at her and sympathize. But think about what she really wants! Sailor Titan wants to kill you, Sailor Pinkmoon. Not overthrow you. Not imprison you. _Kill_ you. She doesn't think about you, doesn't care about you; in her mind, you're just a mindless pit of evil, the same way you think about Chaos. Tokimo is even worse. She doesn't even care if you're evil or good, right or wrong; she just heard that fighting and transforming were involved, and she was won over from that moment on. The Crimson Eagle goes on about how he wants to keep the two sides from fighting--but in my mind, it isn't worth keeping them from fighting. Sailor Titan and Sailor Charon--or Seisui and Tokimo--just want to murder you. They do not care, and never will care, who you are or why you believe what you do. They only care about themselves, and Seisui's father."

"And what about you?" Sailor Saturn asked. "You want to kill me, too, evidently. Why are you any more justified than they are?"

"You murdered me!" she shouted. "Not only that, you all but admitted to poisoning my mother. Do you expect me to just decide 'It's all in the past now'? How would you feel if I killed the people that are dear to you? Wouldn't you want revenge?"

"Don't be so quick to elevate yourself over Seisui!" Sailor Pinkmoon interjected.

"Are you really going to argue that a punishment as mild as demotion is bad as killing someone?"

"Yes, I am!" Sailor Pinkmoon retorted. "And not because he was demoted. Because he was purified!"

Sailor Saturn paused anxiously. Could this have something to do with Seisui? She had mentioned purification before; she seemed to have an unfavorable reaction to it. Could this extreme opinion have rubbed off on Chibi-Usa somehow?

"What do you mean?" Yamiko asked. "What's purification?"

"It's...It's when someone is washed over with the Silver Crystal," she hesitantly replied.

"Washed over?" the Crimson Eagle responded, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

"When someone is purified, we take the Silver Crystal and eliminate the hatred they feel toward others."

"How can something positive like purification be considered a parallel to death?" Yamiko replied disdainfully

"Because it isn't something positive!" Sailor Pinkmoon rejoined. "At least... I don't think it is. Purification...it may be wrong!"

"Chibi-Usa!" Sailor Saturn cried. "How did you, of all people, come to this conclusion?"

"Because of Seisui. I'm not sure yet, but...Seisui asked me something once. 'What would have happened to you, all through your life, if you had no hatred? What would you be like today?'"

"And...?" the Crimson Eagle prompted.

"So I thought about it. For a long time. I thought about everything Seisui had told me about her father, and what had happened to her; I even thought a little bit about Sailor Titan. And I think I've finally figured out what would have happened to me if I had never felt hatred."

"What did you decide, Chibi-Usa?" Sailor Saturn asked somewhat anxiously.

"Nothing," she replied, looking down disgracefully.

"Nothing? What do you mean, nothing?" Yamiko asked.

"I mean--Nothing! Nothing would have happened to me. I hate to admit it, but it's because I felt hatred that I was motivated to go forward. It shames me, but that's what motivates me! Even, what motivates everyone! In a way...it's what moves our lives. I felt horrible for thinking that. I thought I must have been wrong. Even now, I think I might be wrong."

"You're right," Yamiko replied.

Sailor Pinkmoon looked upward in surprise. "What?"

"You're right. Hatred is what motivates people. Just look at Seisui and Tokimo. Look at me; hatred almost always motivates people to move forward. If you took away people's hatred, there wouldn't be anything left," she paused, sounding almost disappointed. "Because that's most of what people have."

"That's not true," the Crimson Eagle replied. "People are often motivated by their desire to do good."

"Like you, you mean?" Yamiko asked cynically.

"Are you suggesting that I am motivated by something else?" he replied.

"Yes. I think you're motivated by an misplaced sense of duty. By your ingrained need to follow a 4,000-year-old code. You wouldn't let yourself speak to one senshi five minutes more than another, just because of your stupid code of chivalry."

"I chose to follow this code. I simply desire to help thesenshi; I have no other motives."

"Did you choose to follow it? Knights are forced from their birth to follow the code, or so I've been told. It doesn't sound to me like you had a choice at all; more like everyone else decided for you, and you didn't have the courage to stand up to them."

"Cease this," Sailor Saturn commanded. Yamiko, suddenly awake to the presence of the glaive, became subdued.

"Why is it that Tokimo can fight on equal ground with you, and I'm cowering on the ground?" she mumbled.

"Because I let her," Sailor Saturn answered her, though she suspected the comment was rhetorical. "I had no intention of hurting her, and I was able to move around quite freely as long as she was occupied.

Figures as much with Tokimo, Yamiko thought. She had probably been too interested in killing Sailor Saturn to notice anything else that was going on.

"In any case," Sailor Saturn continued, "it might be wise for you to choose your battles more carefully. Whatever your natural powers are, you're too inexperienced to use them effectively."

Yamiko gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to insult Saturn. If it was only a matter of experience, she could have her revenge soon enough.

Sailor Saturn pulled away the glaive and turned toward Sailor Pinkmoon.

"You'd best finish the rest of school; Helios will be worried about you," she suggested. "Sorry I interfered, Chibi-Usa. I know you wanted to fight alone."

"It's all right," Sailor Pinkmoon half-heartedly replied.

After that, Sailor Saturn walked back inside of the school; probably to de-transform, Yamiko surmised. Sailor Pinkmoon followed after her.

"To be truthful, I'm disappointed in you," the Crimson Eagle told her. "You criticize my steadfastness; perhaps understandably, given your own tendency to switch sides. You seem to have made an enemy of everyone."

"Don't be so sure."

"Oh?"

"Purification..." she mumbled thoughtfully. "I wonder...just what does it do to a person?"

"I suppose there's only one way for you to find that out."

Yamiko raised her eyebrows; the Crimson Eagle walked away toward the school, leaving muddy footprints behind in the soggy lunch yard green. Before she contemplated Purification, Yamiko decided, she would need to find out what happened to Seisui.

* * *

_Prodosia._

"Who's Prodosia?" Seisui asked, her voice echoing meaninglessly into the darkness. "Who keeps saying that name to me?"

A moment passed; Seisui's eyes were overwhelmed with red. Everything, for a moment, became blurry; and then, a red sky, a red earth, and a frighteningly huge planet in the sky. Around the planet's mass, great rings of stone stretched around either side; the graveyard of a thousand meteors.

"Where is this?"

"This is nowhere," a voice replied. Seisui turned; a craggy cliff with a single iron chair lay to her left. Seisui walked toward it, in the direction of the voice. She had been here before in a dream; but the place was far more familiar than that.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking over the cliff and into a mass of dark, cloudy water.

"I am your guardian."

Seisui paused. "My guardian...?"

_"But my mother is my guardian...and she..."_

"It's you!" Seisui exclaimed. "The sea, and the cliff...from my dream."

"Yes. And the one from your hands."

"My hands?" Seisui asked in confusion, looking downwards. The strange, familiar black liquid began to seep out of them; Seisui backed away in fear as it spiraled into a strange and terrifying man, completely black. A strange robe merged with his skin and swept away from him, back into the cliff; in his hand, he held an inky black halberd that melded into his body like an extension from his hand.

"Who are you?" Seisui asked fearfully. "What are you?"

"I am your guardian," he repeated. "Black Water, the element of Titan."

"An element that speaks, and looks like a man?" Seisui asked.

"Yes. I am everywhere inside of you, in your past, present and future. You spoke to me in your youth, as Prodosia."

"In my youth? Why wasn't I afraid of you?" Black Water, whatever his intentions might be, had both a eerie appearance and a frightening air; Seisui was scared of him now, and she was sure the look of him alone would be enough to upset most children.

"Look at the ocean," he motioned, indicating the sea of darkness behind him. "It was everywhere back then. You came here as a child, seeking refuge from your mother."

"Why?"

"Because of the way she treated you," he told her. "Though after I learned of it, her cruelty quickly ended."

"What?" Seisui asked in confused fear. "Did you--"

"I kill those who are cruel to you," he replied darkly. "It doesn't matter who. I will kill them all."

Seisui was afraid. Was this the power she harnessed? Was this the spirit she called upon to aid her...?

"We are alike," he told her. "We cannot stand to let the ones we love be hurt."

Seisui felt this world melting around her; she backed away fearfully from a new, strange set of surroundings.

"This is...my old house." Seisui could barely remember it, but she recognized the granite floors and large double doors that marked the entrance to her home. Seisui couldn't imagine living somewhere like this now; this house was a house for rich people, and Seisui had lost all of that long ago.

"Is daddy gonna be home soon?"

Seisui turned around; it was her, when she was six. She was standing next to her sister; her sister was thirteen at this time. The same age as she was now, she thought sadly.

"Daddy will be home any minute, Sei," her sister told her, looking down gravely. "So don't get so excited."

"Where did he go, Ana?" she asked. "Everyone's so nervous, but he's just at work, right?"

"No, Sei," her sister replied. "Daddy's gone to court."

Seisui paused. "Hey, Ana," she queried, "Court is where people go when they're in trouble, isn't?" she paused, frowning in fear. "What will happen to him when he goes to court?"

"the Queen will decide his punishment."

"He doesn't deserve punishment!" Seisui protested. "Daddy's nice..."

"Yes, you're right."

"What is the Queen gonna do to Daddy?" Seisui asked her fearfully. "If she does something really mean, I'll never forgive her!"

"Well..." Ana paused uneasily; she was spared the trouble of explaining, however, by the creaking of the hinges on the elaborate double doors. Her father and mother stepped through; her mother, Seisui noticed, looked tired and upset. Her complexion was reddish and irritated; a few stray strands of long, curly hair stuck to her cheeks, the final proof to tell the tale of her tears. She hadn't thought about it when she was little; there were a lot of things she hadn't thought about then. But seeing her mother now, Seisui realized how much she cared about her father. For most of her life, Seisui's mother had tried to convince Seisui that her father was foolish and reckless; really, the reason she said that was probably to keep her from suffering his fate.

"How's Dad?" Ana asked uneasily.

Her mother shook her head.

"Daddy!" Seisui cried, running toward her father and grabbing him happily around the legs.

"Oh, hello, Seisui."

"Seisui?" Seisui repeated, her voice cross. "You're supposed to call me 'Sei.'"

"It would be unfair, wouldn't it?" he replied. "I'm sure all the other little girls in the world would like special nicknames, too, but I can't come up with one for everyone. So it's nicer to them if I just use your full name."

Seisui stopped hugging her father. She backed away and looked up at him; his eyes were glazed over, his expression dazed.

"You're not my daddy!" she said in fear. "Where's Daddy?!"

"I'm your father," he replied. "Don't be silly."

"Where's Daddy?" she screamed, tugging desperately on his pant legs. "Where's Daddy? Where's Daddy!"

"Stop it!!" Seisui sobbed, watching her younger form kneel on the floor and sob in fear and sorrow. "I don't want to see this! I don't want to relive this!"

_"You tore apart my father!"_

_"I'll kill you, Serenity...or die trying."_

"_Vengeance!" "Vengeance!" "Vengeance!"_

"What are you doing to me?" Seisui screamed. "Stop it! Stop it!!"

"We are alike. There is nothing wrong with the path you have chosen. Believe that what you've done is right." His voice echoed as Seisui's world turned into darkness. "It hurts to remember, Seisui, but it hurts even more to forget."

* * *

Yamiko wasn't sure what she was doing.

She could only believe it was her utter confusion that was propelling her forward. She had lost all sense of direction; now Seisui hated her, the Crimson Eagle hated her, even the royal family hated her. Not only did everyone hate her, but she hated herself. She hated her own aimless meandering through this entire conflict.

Maybe that was what compelled her to find Seisui's house. It was in the poor section of town; that didn't surprise Yamiko. As she walked past the mildew-stained houses, however, she began to regret her treatment of Han'i's demotion as trivial. Poverty, while not fatal, was still an unpleasant fate.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself, looking contemplatively at the trash-ridden yard of a nearby house. "I hate Seisui. Besides, no matter what happened to her father, he isn't..." Yamiko paused; she reached into her pocket and looked contemplatively at a small, pill-filled bottle. Opening the bottle, she placed one of the pills in her mouth and, with difficulty, swallowed.

"It was his own fault, wasn't it?" Yamiko defended herself. "He shouldn't have said those things. I had every right to betray them. It was only the right thing to do. Killing people is wrong, no matter what they did."

_How would you feel if I killed the people that are dear to you? Wouldn't you want revenge?_

Yamiko's words echoed in her mind.

"What kind of a hypocrite am I?" she asked herself. "Even if I do go to Seisui's house--even if I do decide that she's justified--what does it matter? I've already changed my mind too many times. They wouldn't accept me back."

_Well, Yamiko's so dense I would almost expect her not to notice._

Tokimo's mocking leer appeared in her memories.

"Even if they did, I wouldn't want them to!" Yamiko told herself reassuringly. "The minute I changed my mind, Tokimo was already dead set on me as her enemy."

_We can go to my house. I have a ton of manga! Oh yeah, my dad has some normal books, too..._

"Why am I thinking about that?" Yamiko snapped, trying to banish the image of the once-amiable Tokimo. "I didn't even know her back then. I didn't even want to know her back then! I didn't!"

"Or did I...? Do I? What do I want, anyway? I don't know! I hate it. I don't know what to do. Sailor Saturn, Purification, murder, anger...madness...is there any sense in all of this?"

"Is something wrong, young lady?" A docile, male voice asked from the yard of a nearby house.

Yamiko turned around and blushed.

"Excuse me. I overheard you talking to yourself. Perhaps...you know my daughter?"

Yamiko looked up at the man who had begun talking to her. He was attractive and plainly attired. The yard he had walked from was overflowing with plants of all kinds; the house, although somewhat grungy, was comparatively clean next to some of the nearby unkempt homes.

"Who is your daughter?" Yamiko asked, though she had a sinking feeling that she knew well enough.

"Ah. Seisui Han'i... she's a troubled girl, I'm afraid. I've tried to tell her to embrace the light and the Queen, but she seems set on blaming her for my Purification. She seems to think it akin to brainwashing."

Yamiko gave the man a somewhat incredulous look. This was a bit hard to swallow. "Are you the man who tried to lead a revolt against the Queen?"

"Ah, yes, but I was foolish in those days. After seeing the Queen's light, I learned the error of my ways."

"You mean... after being Purified?" she asked.

"You could say that. It was then that I realized we are all children of her light, bound to live under her and love all people equally."

"Bound to live under her?" Yamiko repeated a bit skeptically. "Don't you have any ambitions of your own?"

"Our lives have no meaning but that of promoting equal love and kindness for each other."

"But what about your own desires? What about Seisui...what about her future?"

"My greatest dream is that Seisui will realize how kind and beautiful everyone in this universe is."

"Everyone?" Yamiko asked huffily. "What about murderers? Rapists? How about Chaos?"

"Everyone is equally wonderful."

"Even Seisui? Is she equal, too? Equal to rapists, to Chaos?"

"Everyone is equally wonderful. Why would I love Seisui more than anyone else? That would hardly be fair."

"What's wrong with you?" Yamiko spat. "You must hate someone--love _someone_ more than someone else! Everyone does. Aren't you just hiding your inner bitterness toward the Queen with this facade of 'enlightenment?' Or are you living in denial--convincing yourself you've forgiven her more than you have?"

"There is no pretending, no denial. The truth of kindness, sharing and love is self-evident. Why would I need to pretend or convince myself of that?"

_Nothing would have happened to me. I hate to admit it, but it's because I felt hatred that I was motivated to go forward._

"I've made a mistake," Yamiko said, mostly to herself. "I felt sorry for myself because my mother and father died; it's true that I was deprived of years of their love. But this... living with this every day...looking _this_ in the face...How could I... how could they..." she stammered pathetically.

"There is nothing to be so upset about, young girl. Everyone is happier because of what was done to me. This way, I can teach Seisui that wanting preferential treatment is wrong. We should all love each other equally."

"No...no...that's not right. Your own daughter, and you think nothing more of her than anyone!" Yamiko began to cry. "You might as well be dead!"

Yamiko turned around and ran away. Ran away from the dark, grungy house. Even after this, her heart still felt confused. Murder and Purification...honor and revenge. She couldn't take it anymore. She'd had enough. She felt the cool glass of her bottle of sleeping pills and the lumpy, thick feeling of five, ten tablets inching down her throat. She'd go to sleep. If she were asleep, she could escape from all of this.

* * *

"Seisui!" Tokimo's voice cried worriedly. Seisui could feel a jerking motion in her limbs; the ghostly figure of Black Water disintegrated into Tokimo's shiny hair.

Seisui sat up and looked dazedly around her; Tokimo backed off and faded into the small group of people gathered around the bed. Her mother and sister were also nearby, and her mother's hair stuck to the sides of her face, a haunting resemblance to her dream. At the foot of the bed sat Kouken. He looked on with the same pensive concern as Seisui's sister.

Her mother hugged her, a departure from her usually composed behavior. Seisui could feel her shoulders shudder a little bit as her mother repressed a sob. After a few moments, the hug was broken off, and Seisui was left sitting rather nervously in her bed, uncomfortable with the attention on her.

"What happened after I passed out?" Seisui asked, looking toward Tokimo nervously. "Did she..." Seisui trailed off; she didn't want to think about that possibility.

Tokimo shook her head.

"No. I somehow managed to teleport away. It was sooo close. Two more minutes with Sailor Saturn, and..." Tokimo shook her head animatedly. "Well, no use worrying about that. No one knows now."

"After I teleported away, Kouken found me. He must have guessed I'd be near my house; which was a good thing, since he found me lying in the middle of the sidewalk. He woke me up, but he couldn't do anything for you. So I managed to carry you back here." Tokimo flopped on Seisui's bed, her arms outstretched. "You were soooo heavy!"

"Me and mom were watching you," Ana told her. "She and Tokimo told me about your secret. We probably should have called a doctor, but the circumstances..."

"Kouken told us you'd be okay," her mother interrupted. "But your sleep looked troubled."

Seisui clenched her comforter. "I dreamt about Dad," she replied.

"Don't worry Seisui!" Tokimo encouraged her. "We'll bring your dad back. It'll be like he never left!"

"He didn't leave," Seisui said dejectedly, "That's what makes it so hard."

"You know what I mean!" Tokimo retorted. "Seisui...we have to keep working for the future. Maybe if we kill Sailor Moon, the curse on your father will be lifted. You know, like the monsters in comics. As soon as the magical girl blasts the monster to NegaNega Land, the horrible sleeping curse is--"

"Tokimo!" Kouken snapped. "This is hardly the time. Come on, let's go."

"Let's go?" Tokimo repeated in annoyance. "But how is Seisui going to be cheered up if we just leave?"

Kouken glanced at Seisui's mother; she was casting a somewhat disapproving look on Tokimo. Tokimo, unlike this woman, knew that thinking about a nasty past was hardly the way to a good present. However, as she was outnumbered, her distractions would have to wait for later.

"Okay," Tokimo agreed antsily. "We can leave."

With that, she tramped somewhat rebelliously out the door, her ferret in tow.

"Dad always thought the world of you, Sei," Ana told her. "You were always his favorite. He thought you were the smartest kid that ever lived."

"'You talk about him like he's dead,'" Seisui said in annoyance. "That's what she'd say right now."

"That girl, you mean?" Ana asked her. "Tokimo?"

"No..." Seisui trailed off, "No, not her. Someone else."

"Who?" Ana queried.

Seisui shook her head.

"Seisui...there's something I need to show you." Her mother got up and motioned for Ana to come with her. Ana got up and followed, and Seisui lay back down in her bed, trying to relax and focus on the gentle breeze and the ethereal sound of the silver chimes her father had brought from his travels in Europe.

Several minutes passed before her mother returned. Whatever she was going to show her, it must have been hard to find; though Seisui was hardly looking forward to receiving it. It probably had to do with her father--and the pain of those memories was sharp enough in her mind without some physical remembrance coming to further agitate the wound.

"Seisui," her mother began as she reentered. "Sit up. Your father told me to give this to you when you were old enough to understand it. I should have given it to you sooner, but..."

Seisui sat up and looked toward her mother. In her hands, she carried a thin gold and white volume; Seisui guessed that it was a diary. It was unusual to see paper diaries in this day and age; electronic journals were faster to write, and much easier to manage and safeguard.

"But what?" she asked.

"I didn't want you to follow in your father's footsteps. Seeing one family member come home was enough," She shook her head in regret. "But even I could tell well enough that you'd grow up to be like your father."

She handed Seisui the book; Seisui nervously pulled open the white, gleaming cover and began reading.

FOR MY DEAREST DAUGHTER

SEISUI

AS A MEMOIR TO PRESERVE MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

ANDREAS LAZARUS HAN'I

It is three weeks hence before my trial, Sei, that I realized I might never see you again; at least, not with the same eyes. Knowing that I have destroyed my chance to see you grow up, an intelligent and proud woman, leaves a dull, empty feeling in my heart. Even with what I know now--that I might have prevented things in their current course--I am not sure I would have changed them. But for better or worse, things have now run their course. I am writing in this journal so that you will know who your father was; for I shall be in no place to tell you, and I doubt your mother, sensitive as she is, will have the heart or desire to be the one to tell you.

My mother was American. She was a high ambassador for the Cultural United States; my father, like myself, was a councilor. They were both independently minded people, but they were dependent on each other and spent every minute of free time they had together. It was during my teenage years that I began to question the world around me. My parents, like myself, had a questioning attitude about the Queen, but it never traveled far. Their secret complaints and outright dislike of the Queen manifested itself at home; and I decided to follow in my father's footsteps as a councilor, with a vow to do what they only dared to dream.

My vows, however, quickly seemed to become only that. I spent many years as a councilor, but I realized that what I was dealing with was no mere dictator; it was a demi-god, a being beyond my power. I was content to obey, if begrudgingly. But it was at the time that Ana--and then, you--were born, that I began to change my mind.

I could see that you were brighter than any average girl. You had a strong sense of curiosity and an interest in the way things were run; and you always asked questions. I knew that someone like you, that was always asking these questions, would live in an unwelcoming world. After all, in this day and age, there are no questions to ask; life is happy, no one starves, and a god sits on a throne. But no matter how benevolent the god, control is control, and you could never be happy with being controlled or living in a world which offered you none of the opportunities to question that you needed.

My shell began to break down. I started questioning aloud. I tried to change things, to convince the others of my ideas. But they were only able to see the light that surrounded the Queen, and none of the darkness that slunk reluctantly and quietly beside her holy feet. My worries went deep; my thoughts went to the times of darkness, of the Death Phantom and Nemesis. Many people had died and suffered during these wars. You and your sister, too, might suffer someday from a war with Chaos. The Queen, I began to realize, attracted more kinds of darkness than I had even suspected. Nemesis had come to this planet because they wanted the Queen's holy light; and before the reappearance of Sailor Moon, our conflicts had been far less devastating. Without the Queen, we might have avoided them. Without the Queen, I could have made a new history free from that kind of devastation.

I became desperate. I couldn't stand the cage of this society anymore; I turned to the people, but they, too, could only see the light around her. Then, finally, I landed on one last, extreme plan; a plan to release you from repeating my history, my father's history, my mother's history. It was risky, and I might be lost in the plan; but to free you from my frustrated life, to give you the freedom to think outside of the ever-present cage of nothingness...

I bought a dagger--a real dagger. It was hard to find; I had to make a pretense of antique collection. But I did it. I went to a dinner party; I followed the Queen to her room when she retired.

But all of that is over now. I was caught, and soon I'll have the same mindless light surrounding me as well. Now, I look at your face and it breaks my heart. Not only was I not able to give you your freedom--soon, I will be unable to give you my love as well. You're too young to bear all of this, and it will become a burden for the rest of your life. The King, thankfully, will keep the assassination attempt a secret, because I can't imagine the kind of life my Sei would lead if the people knew what I had tried to do. As it is, I fear the worst for you. My hands are heavy with sin...not because of what I tried to do, but because of what I'll end up doing to you. Before all of this, I had thought you would follow in my footsteps. Now I see I've left no footsteps for you to follow in. I will fade... fade away from my life, and from you.

Seisui, please keep up your strength, as I know you will--and try to survive in this beautiful hell that the Queen has created. Someday I may not love you, but remember that the real me--that man that was truly your father--loved you more than words can tell. Survive how you must and forget my foolishness. This hell is for no mere mortal to oppose.

Seisui paused for a moment; the opposing page held a picture of her father, reading a book to her as a young girl. Seisui stifled a sob as she closed the book and held it against her chest.

"I am no mere mortal anymore, father," she said. "This hell is for us to banish."

"Seisui..." her mother trailed off, looking down at her daughter sadly. "Please reconsider this. You may be a Sailor Senshi, but you can't oppose the Queen alone. No power is as great as that of the Queen."

"You're wrong," Seisui replied. "Queen Serenity was a Moon Senshi, too. Our power is alike. Tokimo and I are the only ones who can do it. This is our last chance to free the Earth!"

"There are worse hells than this," her mother replied. "And the worst hell of all would be seeing you die like your father! I can't allow you to do this, Seisui."

"But you can't stop me, can you," Seisui shouted. "You know you can't. And I won't let you!"

"Seisui! Please! If you were purified, I'd--"

"No! I won't let father's life be in vain. If I don't do anything, his...death will have been meaningless! I won't let anyone stop me--not you, not anyone! I...I don't care what happens to me," she said decisively.

"Andreas is dead, Seisui," her mother replied, her tone pathetic and weak. "There's nothing you can do to bring him back. I've told you that so many times; but somehow, you never listen. There's nothing you can do to make your father's Purification meaningful; it's already done, it's already become meaningless, and I've already shed too many tears because of it. The only way you can make your father's purification meaningful to me is for it to teach you the lesson that there are some battles you simply cannot win. Maybe, in the end, I can't stop you; but I can't help trying, because if you lose your mind to that horrible creature, I will never forgive myself."

Her mother turned around and left the room; Seisui could understand why, since a stifled sob rose in her voice. She couldn't imagine her wanting to be seen crying in front of their child; Seisui couldn't help wanting to avert her eyes at the sight. Parents were supposed to be the strong ones in situations like these, but recent events had revealed to her what a delicate person her mother really was.

Seisui opened the journal back up and touched her fingers lightly on her father's long, European name. It was hand written in a dark, black ink; the paper on the front page was thick. Most of the pages in the diary had never been written on; her father, after all, had only written one entry. Seisui flipped through the book's empty pages; a small, silver skeleton key fell onto her lap. Seisui stopped at the page with the key in it.

A final momento from me and a symbol of your strength. Look in the box on the top shelf of your bedroom closet.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it must be gone by now," Seisui said with a sigh. "I haven't looked up there in ages, but I doubt I would miss something like that. Besides, that was probably in our old house."

Still, curiosity overwhelmed her logic, and she grabbed a stool from inside the small closet and stood on her tip-toes. She could just barely manage to put her arm over the edge of the high shelf; unsurprisingly, there didn't seem to be much up there. Seisui was not even as tall as her diminutive mother, and storing things in such an out-of-the-way place was hardly practical. She shuffled her hands around for a moment until she found a small box; it felt cool and smooth to the touch. She pulled the box carefully toward her, and as she pulled it down off the shelf, she could see that it was primarily made of glass; the edges were smooth wood and were painted glossy black. Seisui sat down on her bed and slowly opened the lock with the small skeleton key; and what lay there, oddly enough, was a knife.

What could he mean by giving her this? After reading his diary entry, he obviously had no intention of encouraging her to assassinate the Queen as well. He had called it a symbol of her strength; maybe it was merely a gift of looks, a way of saying that he knew she had the responsibility to take care of such a gift. The weapon, after all, was hardly fashioned for combat; it had an ornate handle of ivory, heavily carved, and the blade was in a black, leather sheath. The top of the handle was a small, garnet orb held in the teeth of a viper. The snake had two black, onyx eyes fixed in its sockets; they shone eerily in the light of her room.

"A snake, huh..." Seisui murmured to herself. She set the dagger back inside the box for a moment; but she felt strangely compelled to keep it on her, and shoved it absentmindedly into her pocket. You never know, she thought to herself.

* * *

"I don't see why I had to leave," Tokimo grumbled as she walked down the sidewalk. "Seisui needs friends at a time like this. Her mom and sister weren't cheering her up at all."

"There are times when people don't want to be cheerful, Tokimo," Kouken sighed.

"When would someone want to be unhappy?" Tokimo asked. "Sounds pretty stupid to me. What's the point?"

"Sometimes people need to have serious discussions," Kouken replied. "Sometimes people need to be alone with their family."

"Well, why can't I be a member of Seisui's family? I care about her, too!"

"It's not the same."

"Why isn't it?"

"Because you aren't her relative. You weren't by her side when her father was purified," Kouken explained irritably.

"But I was by her side all those other times!" Tokimo protested. "When she found out she was a Senshi, when we fought together--and I always helped in her plans. And I was the one who gave her hope for her father when she was down. Me and my mom were the ones who came and picked her up from the palace that evening! Doesn't that count for something?"

"Maybe it does, but you're always acting like a clown."

"So? Maybe what we need is a bit of a clown. Everyone else is so depressed!"

"Distracting someone isn't the only way to comfort them, Tokimo!" Kouken snapped. "Blind encouragement isn't always helpful, either. Sometimes it's enough just to know that someone understands you. Seisui's family can do that for her. You can't."

"I understand! I understand Seisui more than anyone!"

"You don't understand anything, Tokimo, let alone Seisui!"

"Why are you so insistent that I'm stupid?" Tokimo shouted. "I'm not stupid!"

"Then why are you always doing stupid things?"

"Because...because, because I can!"

"You really are stupid, if that's the only way you can reply," Kouken grumbled in annoyance.

"That's not the only way I can reply!" Tokimo cried.

"Oh?"

"No, it's not!" Tokimo continued. "I could sit around and mope like Yamiko, you know. Or I could get revenge, like Seisui! And if I am stupid, well, being stupid isn't as easy as it looks. And even if I am stupid, I'm a lot better off than you, Kouken! At least when Seisui is crying over her dad, I don't tell her that it's none of my business, and I don't leave her alone with her mopey family when she's all alone and upset. I know it's my business, because I'm her friend! Someone has to be, you know. And you aren't!"

"I never said I was hanging around because I wanted to be your friends!" Kouken hissed.

"And that's why you're such a crappy animal mascot," Tokimo retorted. "Because even the grumpiest animal mascot, when it comes right down to it, really cares about their magical girl. But you, Kouken, you don't care about anyone. All you care about is the mission and my cucumbers. We'd be better off without you, anyway--Seisui and I do most of the work."

"I gave you your brooch, and your communicators!"

"Yeah, I know. And that's about all you're good for!" With that, Tokimo picked up a small rock by the sidewalk and threw it straight at Kouken's head. "Screw you! I'm going home!"

Kouken rubbed his head gingerly as Tokimo ran off into the distance. Stubborn to the last, he thought to himself. Some people just didn't understand their place. Now he was going to have to find someplace to sleep, and somewhere to eat breakfast. He could probably find a home with Seisui, but for the time being, he was all alone.

"Who does she think she is, anyway?" Kouken complained. "Leaving me out in the street like this. It's just like before the beginning of this whole big mess, when I had to tramp around the city, looking for some random Moon Senshi, with no one to talk to or anything..."

_"You haven't got a name!? But all mascots need a cute name to go with their equally cute appearance! It can be...let's see...I know, we'll call you Kouken!"_

Kouken paused for a moment. Why had Tokimo's words come to him now? An odd feeling lingered in his throat, but he ignored it and walked indignantly toward Seisui's door.

* * *

"You were gone so long, Usako," Hiroshi said worriedly. Gangs of school kids were exiting the building, murmuring about a weird incident on the way to school and about the girl that appeared in the paper. "What happened with Seisui?"

Usako look down at the ground. She wished that Hotaru were there; she could have explained things well enough, and saved her the trouble of having to do it.

"A lot happened," Usako mumbled. "I got involved in a fight."

"With Seisui? That doesn't seem like her..."

"No, it wasn't a fight with Seisui," Usako told him, shaking her head. "It was a fight with the Moon Senshi. Me, Hotaru...and all of them."

"A fight?" he said in shock. "Goodness...Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked anxiously, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Was it both of them? You could of gotten killed; even with Hotaru there, it's a scary thought that you--"

"I can take care of myself!" Usako cried in annoyance, pushing his hand away. "I don't need you to look after me all the time."

There was a moment of silence. Hiroshi's face was grave and hurt; a feeling of guilt swelled up within Usako and she covered her flushed face with her hand.

"Hiroshi... I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. You're upset; whatever happened, it must have been hard on you."

How did Hiroshi manage to be so calm in situations like these? If he had done that to her, the outcome would have been much different--but she hadn't even finished her apology before he had understood. The guilt and shame sank a little deeper, and she took his hand in an attempt to offer some meager penance.

"Will you tell me what happened, Usako?" he asked, looking cautiously toward her.

"I didn't talk with Seisui for long. Sailor Charon appeared before I had really gotten anything in; and things just went downhill from there. Sailor Titan appeared--"

Usako paused; Yamiko's warnings echoed in her mind. Sailor Charon attacks...Seisui dashes away in shock...Sailor Titan appears, and both of them would laugh over her bloody body. That morbid image materialized in her head.

"Sailor Titan appeared, and...?" Hiroshi gently prompted.

Usako shook her head and looked back toward him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "After that, she began attacking, over and over. Sailor Saturn easily blocked her attacks with her wall; but she kept on attacking until a man appeared out of that strange, dark liquid. He had a halberd, and he was coming toward us...but at the last minute, he disappeared. Sailor Titan passed out. She and Sailor Charon disappeared--then, Sailor Phoebe began attacking. She thinks that Sailor Saturn killed her in her past life. I found out that she's Yamiko--something she said tipped me off--and then..." Usako paused.

"What happened?" he asked, a little taken aback by the sheer extent of what had occurred in his absence.

"She told me Seisui and Tokimo were Titan and Charon. But, that couldn't be true--she probably just thought so, too, from the paper...There's no way that could be true."

Hiroshi didn't say anything. Before, he had been perfectly willing to believe that Seisui was not Sailor Titan; after all, there seemed to be no definite proof that indicated it. But Yamiko had known Tokimo and Seisui; and the reason that the three knew each other...it was a bit much to be coincidence. But Seisui hadn't shown any kind of aggression toward Usako, even when she questioned the way Usako thought--even then, it was peaceful. Whatever doubts swirled in his head, there was no point in sharing with Usako something that was uncertain, especially something that would make her very upset.

"That was pretty much everything," Usako sighed, relieved to have finished relating the disturbing events. "There was a conflict between her and the Crimson Eagle. It's unlikely, after their argument, that they'll still be working together. Between Charon, Titan, and him, Sailor Phoebe seems to be on her own. I'm not sure what's going to happen now."

"Do you know what happened to Seisui?" Hiroshi asked.

"No," Usako replied. "She could be anywhere, now, but she's probably at least headed home. She was pretty upset when she left; she might even have skipped the rest of the day. Especially after that argument with Hotaru..."

"Are you okay with Hotaru getting involved?" Hiroshi asked.

"I'm not sure." Usako said with a sigh. "I trust her...I think she wants to help. But she came in so late. There's just so much that she doesn't understand. Even the Asteroids don't understand Seisui, and even though they mean well...I just don't think I could trust them with everything I know about her. Even Hotaru...she's my best friend, but how far does her loyalty go when her Queen is involved? It's frightening. The idea that I might not be able to trust something with her is incredibly frightening."

"I think you can trust her," Hiroshi assured her. "You haven't been friends all this time for nothing; you were the one that encouraged her in her time of darkness. I think, if anything, Hotaru sees herself in Seisui, and that's why she wants to help her. And if she thinks she's Sailor Titan, she would have even more reasons to care; Titan is one of Saturn's moons, and the name of her castle. It seems unlikely that they would have had no connection, at least politically, in the past."

"You're right," Usako agreed. "But I'm still not sure that Hotaru getting involved is a good thing. Having me around, I think, can be intimidating for Seisui. Having Hotaru around as well must be even worse."

"Don't worry," Hiroshi comforted her, squeezing her hand slightly. "For Seisui, I think, having friends is comfort enough. If something goes wrong, we'll be there to help her out."

"I wasn't able to help her today, though..." Usako trailed off. Seisui had run off before she had gotten the chance to say anything; where was she now? How could Usako help her?

"It's not too late," Hiroshi told her. "We can go see her now. If we look up her address, we can track her down."

Usako sighed. "That'll take a while, though."

"I think that you need to talk to Seisui, Usako--no matter how long it takes. You need to understand why she feels the way she does; finish the conversation you started."

"I need to...?" Usako paused. "Aren't you coming along?"

"I'll help you get there, but I think you should talk to her by yourself. That's what she wanted before, and I'm sure her sentiment hasn't changed much. As much as I'd like to go with you, doing so will only make her even more distrustful and upset."

"Are you sure?" Usako asked.

"I'm sure. Now come on; let's find her house together. I'll wait outside for you, okay?"

"Okay," Usako said, smiling weakly. "Let's go."

* * *

"Let's see..." Hiroshi began, entering Seisui's run-down neighborhood. "She should be along this street. We just have to watch out for her number."

Usako didn't reply; instead, her attention was taken up by the trash-ridden yards and the run-down apartments. On some of them, mildew stains festered beneath air conditioners; on others, the porches were rotting and breaking apart. Many of the apartments and houses looked like they could be a hundred years old or more; and from the looks of it, that was probably the last time they had been worked on.

"I didn't realize that there was anywhere in Crystal Tokyo that was so run-down," Usako murmured, looking around in disillusioned awe. "I mean, I knew not everyone was rich, but..."

"The Queen's power, I suppose, can only go so far..." Hiroshi replied, a bit surprised himself. "At least no one can starve anymore; and that's what's most important, that these people can stay healthy and alive."

"I suppose..." Usako said a bit dubiously. "But health must be a small comfort when you live like this. I'm not sure that anyone can be really happy just making ends meet."

"I'd like to think that people can be happy just knowing they're loved by their friends and family. In the end, money isn't going to make your life complete."

"Yeah..." Usako trailed off, watching two boys leave a run-down red house and walk out into their yard.

"Do you think they're done, Jirou?" The younger boy asked, looking fearfully toward him.

"Fuck," he replied, glancing back toward the door. "Who knows with them. They're always like that." He sighed. "Pretty soon, they'll be hitting each other...son of a bitch. What was she huffing when she married him?"

"Usako? What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked, putting a hand on her arm.

"N-nothing," Usako stuttered, turning around. "Is this really where Seisui lives? Didn't you get the street wrong?"

"I don't think so..." Hiroshi muttered, looking down at his slip of paper. "It should be around here."

"Seisui can't live here, though, can she?" Usako insisted, taking his hand.

"Seisui is poor," Hiroshi explained. "Poor people can't afford to upkeep their houses. Over here, the real-estate is cheap because this is part of old Tokyo. It attracts people who don't have a lot of money; and if you don't have a lot of money to buy a house or an apartment in Crystal Tokyo, it's unlikely that you'll have enough money to take care of your house properly. Besides, the fact is, not eating still makes you feel hungry. Most people will take food over material possessions; and once the money for food is gone, there's nothing left to buy things or take care of a house. I hate to say it, but it only makes sense that Seisui lives here. Her father is a janitor, and after the incident, it's unlikely that her mother was able to do much better."

"Seisui must have felt awful, seeing my lunch," Usako reflected. "All she had was white rice."

"Who knows, with Seisui..." Hiroshi mused. "Although she tries to push the blame away from the Queen, I believe she feels some resentment. Even if she believes her father's punishment to be her father's doing, she definitely believes that Purification is wrong. Especially after hearing about the Great Purification..."

"But Mama doesn't understand Purification," Usako defended. "She doesn't know that it changes what you are. I didn't, either...I'm still not sure I understand."

"Once we get to Seisui's house, I'm sure you will," Hiroshi said somewhat distractedly.

"Seisui's father..." Usako trailed off. "I wonder what he's really like?"

* * *

"Seisui," the familiar voice of Ana murmured into the crack of her bedroom door, "Seisui, you have a visitor," she continued, opening the door.

Seisui was glad she had put away the dagger; her sister might have been somewhat concerned about her carrying it around like that, and anyway, she didn't want to make her feel bad about her father's display of favoritism.

"Who is it?" Seisui asked, picking up the glass case and heading toward her bureau.

"A girl named Usako," Ana told her. Seisui's glass case fell on her dresser with a distinct "thud;" Ana looked a little uneasily at Seisui's flustered face.

"Maybe I should tell her you're not feeling well? You did go through quite a lot, as I understand it. You were fighting, right?"

"Send her in---No, wait--" Then, pausing a moment, "Have her wait for me in the garden."

"Alright," Ana agreed, leaving her room and shutting the door behind her.

Seisui clasped her locket; This time, this time, definitely...

* * *

Of all things, Usako thought, the Han'i garden must truly be the jewel of this district. The tulips, crocuses and single, stately cherry tree looked as finely landscaped as any garden around the palace, and each flower seemed to hold many times that amount of love and care. The petals of the cherry tree gently drifted down like a rain shower; the perfect sign of a Japanese spring, she thought to herself.

Seisui's father had been in the front yard, but she hadn't been able to do any more than glance at him before being greeted by Ana, who was evidently Seisui's sister. He seemed to be looking down the street, interested in something that had happened there. However, Usako was sure that she wouldn't avoid talking to him forever; eventually, she would really, truly know what purification meant.

The door swung shut lazily as Seisui walked onto the porch; Usako was standing in the garden, and Seisui gave her a dull, angry look. The look confused her; why was she angry? Maybe she should have followed after her when she left. But then, Sailor Titan and Charon had shown up, and there was no time to look for Seisui...

"What's wrong?" Usako asked, walking through the garden toward Seisui. Seisui looked coldly down on her; she raised her hand above her. "What are you doing?"

"Titan prism power, make up!" she shouted. Usako gaped in surprise; Seisui's hand hovered there for a moment as a quiet breeze passed by it. Her eyebrows arched downward in anger and frustration. She looked upward and raised her hand higher. "Titan prism power, make up!" she cried once more, looking upward in expectation.

"Seisui...why do you think you're..." Usako stuttered, watching her in fear. "Don't tell me, that even you believe that you're Sailor Titan...?"

Seisui swore to herself. How would she defeat her without being transformed? She looked at her locket; it showed no signs of life. What could have happened?

Seisui paused. It must have been the fight; it had taken all the energy out of her, and now, she even couldn't transform, let alone attack. But she couldn't let his chance go; especially not after Usako had seen her say that. Even she could live in denial only so long; and if not her, then Hiroshi would be her undoing. There had to be something she could do--she thought for a moment, and then slowly reached her hand inside of her pocket.

Usako watched a vicious smirk crawl across Seisui's face like a snake. The sadistic look seemed evil and wrong on Seisui's face, like some kind of horrible nightmare. It was the disgusting, hateful look of Sailor Titan; the look of someone crazed by hate and madness. Usako backed away in fear.

"Seisui...?"

Seisui pulled the dagger out of her skirt, and threw the sheath aside. The she ran forward, the cold steel of the dagger aimed for Usako's face; Usako ducked down and pulled out her locket, only half concious of her own actions. Her thoughts were numb with the confusion and surprise she felt.

"Pink crystal moon power, make up!" She shouted, only half aware of what was going on as her uniform formed around her. She turned toward Seisui, who was still holding out the dagger.

"Seisui..." Sailor Pinkmoon murmured, "Seisui, what are you doing...?"

"I've had enough of this," Seisui said seethingly, her teeth clenched. "I'm sick of playing pretend with you. Every day I look at your face and I see your mother's. Your blind acceptance of purification. Your obsession with changing my opinions to fit your own. You're just the same as her!" she said with a scowl. "Not only that, but you're selfish enough to feel sorry for yourself. While I was suffering day by day, living under the persecution of the masses, you were loved and admired by everyone. And yet, you had the nerve to pout over your stunted growth and your parents' busy lives." Seisui stifled a sob. "My father can't have a busy life, because of what your mother did to him! And I have to smile at you every day with the knowledge that you would have done the very same thing, if you were her!"

Tears fell absently from Sailor Pinkmoon's eyes. Maybe she had been selfish; but she knew what it was like to be ridiculed and alone. The only daughter of the Queen was considered a black sheep, a failure, a disappointment. She knew something of what it was to be persecuted, and she, like Seisui, had tried to hurt and find revenge because of it. Looking at Seisui, the dagger in her hand and the madness in the her eyes--in the end, they were the same.

"Seisui," Sailor Pinkmoon cried. "I'm sorry about your father! I don't know what my mother did to him, I don't know how it hurt you, but I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"No matter how many times you apologize," Seisui hissed, "you can never bring my father back!"

Seisui held out her dagger toward Sailor Pinkmoon, and Sailor Pinkmoon looked away in fear. There were tears streaming from her eyes, and Sailor Pinkmoon, even if she had been able to, did not have the heart to attack. Somehow, she was sure, everything would turn out alright; Seisui, she believed, even now, even knowing that she was--yes, she must be--Sailor Titan...once it came to the deed, she could not do it.

But the blow never came; and when Usako looked up, she saw a tall man holding back Seisui by her shoulders. Seisui, shrinking away from his touch, dropped to the ground. It was Seisui's father; he was standing above her and looking sadly down at her.

"Seisui," he said gently. "Even you must know that this is wrong. Why would you kill someone because of me? You know I would never approve of it."

"You aren't my father!" Seisui screamed, holding out her dagger. "My father gave me this. My father knew what was right!" She put down her hand and looked up into his cloudy eyes. "When I look at you, I do not see my father! All I see is her!"

"Seisui, you should put the past behind you. Accept me as I am now; what happened in the past doesn't matter. All that matters is that we work toward peace in this future."

"That's right," Seisui cried. "That's what you always said. When I came home bruised, beaten... 'Look toward the future, look toward the future...don't hold grudges, and they will forgive you, they will learn to love you...' You horrible shadow, you liar! They never forgave me! Nobody ever, ever forgave me, except for--" tears began falling from her eyes. "Tokimo..."

"They will forgive you...all people live in the Queen's grace, and will learn to accept her wish for peace."

"Please stop!" Sailor Pinkmoon implored, walking in front of Seisui and looking toward her father. "What you're saying...my mother does love her people, and she does want them to be peaceful...but what you speak of is only a dream!" she shouted. "As long as places like this exist...as long as people like Yamiko, like Tokimo and Seisui exist...like the boys who beat Seisui up, or weakness of my heart that turned toward Chaos...or even, the weakness of the Queen herself, who is always so small, and lost, and confused in the greatness of everything around her--as long as people like that exist, the world can never be peaceful!"

"If we accept the Queen--"

"Shut _up_!" Sailor Pinkmoon shouted, surprised at her own words. "Look what you've done to her!" She motioned toward Seisui, who was slumped on the ground crying, ignoring the world around her. "Look at what you've made her become. No one should ever, ever have to feel like they have to do this to find peace!"

"That's why I say such things. If Seisui let her heart be calm, then the need would be gone."

"How could anyone be calm when they have to look at you, like this, every day...It must have killed her, knowing that I was the daughter of the woman who did this to you!"

"I'll...kill...you..." Seisui choked, getting up and holding the dagger toward Sailor Pinkmoon. "I'll..._kill_..._you_..."

"Watch out..." Andreas said vaguely, pushing Sailor Pinkmoon aside. Seisui ran through the space in which Pinkmoon had stood; faltering, she fell to the ground, her dagger pointing downwards into the earth. Sailor Pinkmoon stared in shock, realizing how close death had come to her.

"You'd better leave for now, Your Highness," he said politely. "Perhaps someday Seisui will realize the truth, but until then, you are not safe here."

Sailor Pinkmoon continued to stare in shock at Seisui's hunched form, which clawed at the cultivated earth with horrible fury. She backed away in fear--then ran away, resigned that she had no power to subdue Seisui's fury.

_EPISODE SIX: FIN_

* * *

Softly mumbling, "Don't cry," to myself,  
I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I'm not at fault, right? It's everyone else's fault, right?   
If you think so too, if you'll believe in me,  
I'll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny

Lulululu...

Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite  
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne   
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba  
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara

Lulululu...

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Fubuki**: This is none of my business.

**Seisui**: The scope of the Queen's responsibility covers the entire world. In a world known as paradise, there is no place for the poor and the miserable.

**Fubuki**: I refuse to interfere in the world of the Moon Senshi, but even I cannot resist the tide that swirls around them. Jirou and I reconcile, and the reasons to fight become even stronger. I hate this world of lies and masks.

**Yamiko**: The deepest hour of despair has come; I refuse to fight. But the sight of Seisui's father scars my conscience and sends me into another, stranger battle.

**Usako**: Now that I know the truth, I cannot ignore what has happened. Who could blame Seisui for her impassioned hatred as the Senshi of Revenge? But at a loss as to how to help her; telling my family would be dangerous, and despite my attempts to join her, she hates me as strongly as ever.

**Seisui**: Sailor Moon... I will never, ever forgive you...

**Usako: **Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"Fallen Paradise"_

**Seisui: **Evil returns to those who create it.

* * *


	7. Episode Seven: Fallen Paradise

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon  
Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Seven:

"Fallen Paradise"

* * *

When Fubuki left the putrid, pristine cleanliness of the hospital, she knew exactly what she needed to do--something that would really piss off her mother. She had already vandalized the church, which was probably the worst thing she could think of; now, she would have to settle for taking a big whiff of pot. She put the blood-caked coat on her back; she almost wore that blood with pride, a sacrifice she had made in her fight against oppression. Looking down the sidewalk at the rancid families and their rancid happiness, it couldn't help but make her feel nauseous. She needed to talk to someone who understood how fuckin' stupid the world was.

"Where the fuck is Jirou, anyway?" she asked, taking another puff. How long had it been since they'd seen each other? Two, three days? The time seemed to have blended together into meaninglessness. Well, fuck. He'd probably have forgiven her about their fight, anyway, especially once he got home. After all, even the nastiest of peers was nothing next to his parents. It was only six o'clock; she had woken up early that morning, and the doctors had let her leave. The wound would take care of itself, more or less, for a week or two; after that, she'd get her stitches out. The unsightly scar, to her, would be a badge of honor. She almost wanted another one.

Jirou would probably be smoking, too. Things had been especially bad at home, and between that and their fight, there was nothing better to do than burn his brains out. She'd probably find him behind the bushes in the park. Fubuki needed to talk to him. Stupid jackass had been right about her mother; the only reason the bitch had left for caring about Fubuki was making sure her smoking, cussing daughter didn't mar her reputation. Her punishment, which Fubuki planned on ignoring, would probably have something to do with keeping her out of public sight. Grounding, most likely. What a laugh. As if that would deter her.

Fubuki walked down the Serenity-fuckin' shiny sidewalk and threw her huffie behind her. The park was in the center of the neighborhood; near the shopping strip, the school, and the upper-class section. Just behind the mall, conveniently hidden from view, was the poor section of the district.

When Fubuki entered the park, she headed for the bush behind the fountain, the place where she and Jirou always hung out. Sure enough, he was there, a curl of smoke flowing gently away from his face. Smoke was the perfume of the miserable.

He looked up at her and carelessly blew the smoke into her face. "What the fuck do you want now?" he asked.

Fubuki didn't say anything. She sat down, heedless of the numerous cigarette butts on the ground, and let out a low sigh.

"Did you go through with your dumbass plan?" he asked scornfully. His face was wrinkled in worry.

"Yeah. The statuary is ruined."

"Mother Serenity," he sighed, throwing down his cigarette and crushing it with his foot. "I can't believe you, Fubuki. I told you breakin' up that church was a bad idea, but dammit, you--"

"I know what I did!" Fubuki snapped. "I have no regrets about that. The stupid bitch deserved it, dammit!"

"But what the hell did you accomplish?" he asked her. "So you broke the church--big fucking deal. What's gonna come out of it for you? For anyone?"

"I'd think you'd be happy about my smashing up that shiny piece of shit--god knows the money that went into that fuckin' statue could've gone to your parents. Maybe that would shut them up for awhile!"

"Leave my parents outta this, bitch!"

"You know they're fighting because of the money!" Fubuki continued. "I've gone over to your house. I've heard the screaming! And the way your brother cowers in the corner like that, it's fucking pathetic!"

"Whatever happened to hating your family? Why is it mine all of a sudden?" His tone became resigned. "Stupid fucking rich bitch...how the hell would you know what it's like living in a shithole."

"I haven't been with you all these years, listening to your problems, to hear that!" she shouted. "You know it's the queen's fault that you're so poor. You should be happy I destroyed that statue!"

"What the hell does it matter, even if I am?" he snapped. "There hasn't been a welfare program in almost a thousand years, and none of the councilors look like they're interested in one. Poverty is shit in the can, Fubuki. When you can't starve, nobody gives a fuck."

"Doesn't it make you a little happy to see something that symbolizes her destroyed?"

"My parents have been 'married' for 20 years, Fubuki. For me, that was 17 years of hell. When your parents fight every night over who's going to pay the bills and the taxes and everything else, you just learn not to give a fuck about anything anymore. There's nothing I can do for my parents, and there's nothing anyone can do about mother fucking Serenity. I've tried to reconcile my parents, and when I was young and stupid, I thought I could be like that poor dumbass Han'i and kill the queen. But if Chaos can't beat her, Serenity knows who can. Don't waste your time making a criminal record for yourself. It's over."

"Not according to that weasel."

"I wouldn't trust anything that came out of the mouth of some shithead weasel," Jirou replied scornfully. "I don't care about the 'Moon Senshi' or whatever. The queen has all that support behind her, and her lollipop-head daughter has just as much--plus her crystal. Don't waste your time."

"That's all I do anyway. Waste time. There's nothing left in me that isn't wasted." Fubuki sighed and let her head hang between her legs. "It's over between us, anyway, isn't it? You certainly don't seem interested. I've had enough of this life. Maybe if I become a Sailor Senshi I can go out with a nuke."

"Don't be a dumbass," Jirou complained, pushing her injured shoulder and sending her headlong into the butt-ridden dirt of the park.

"Shit!" she shouted loudly, grabbing her shoulder. "What the fuck are you doing? Those are my stitches!"

Jirou looked down at his hand. The coat had a strange, crusty residue where he had pushed her, and his palm was faintly dusted red.

"What the fuck is this? Stitches? Fubuki, what the hell happened, anyway?"

"Two other Sailor Senshi found me," she admitted, still cringing from the pain. "One of them was named Sailor Phoebe... the other, the Red Eagle or some kinda shit. They tried to keep me from wrecking the church. Stupid bastard...they knocked me out and left me in there. Then, the priest found me..."

"I'm sure your mom had something to say about that," Jirou interjected. He smirked sardonically and kicked a rock. "Were the two others Moon Senshi?"

"They must've been. Maybe there's more to this than that fuckin' weasel told me; beats me. Anyway, my mother has some genius punishment worked out. Probably grounding me again. Stupid bitch; she knows I'll just disobey her. She only bothers because she wants to feel like she tried to do something about it."

"Serenity! Fubuki, if you're going to do something that fuckin' stupid, you have to be more careful. And now you've ruined your goddamn coat, too."

"I must have untransformed when I passed out," Fubuki half-heartedly mumbled. "The blood from the wound soaked through."

"And you just let it sit here and stain? I thought this coat was 'so important' to you. Remember, a memento of your father?" He shook his head. "I guess it's not as important to you as I thought it was."

"It's not like it's fallen apart. Besides, the coat is black."

Jirou held out his hand.

"Give me the coat."

"The hell! Why the fuck should I? Are you going to rip it up, too? Trying to see just how careless I can treat it?"

"There's a fountain over there. I'm going to wash it out, dumbass."

Fubuki paused for a moment; she handed him the coat. He walked over toward the fountain and Fubuki followed him. He dipped the shoulder of the coat into the water, and the blood began to dilute in the fountain, leaving a cloudy mass of brownish pink. Jirou began scratching at the blood with his fingernails; Fubuki sat down near him on the fountain.

"That girl's in pretty deep shit." Jirou told her as he worked the dark splotches out of her coat.

"What girl?"

"That Han'i girl. They found out she was Sailor Titan; or at least, they think she is. Now, they're looking for proof."

"How the fuck did she end up getting caught? Lying weasel bastard. 'Needle in a haystack' my ass..."

"She snuck into the Crystal Palace and tried to assassinate the Queen."

"Fuck. What the hell was she thinking?"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jirou snapped, looking toward her. "You were thinking of it just now. The same thing could happen to you."

"Who the hell cares," Fubuki muttered, swirling her fingers in the cloudy water.

"Don't even say that, dammit," Jirou said bitingly, ringing out her coat. The stain, for the most part, was gone; the dark color of the coat managed to hide it. He handed her the coat; she took and looked down at. She was too proud to admit feeling guilty for constantly fighting with Jirou. He said a lot of dumbass things, but he was all she had. Why did things have to be so harsh between them...?

There was a long moment of silence between them; a truant officer walked by and didn't give them a second glance. They didn't bother anymore. Delinquents like Fubuki and Jirou were the dirt that got lodged between the sidewalk cracks; collecting in the unclean corners of the city, the blemishes on a well-swept street.

"I didn't know Han'i had that much nerve," Fubuki said, somewhat subdued. "I thought she was just some lamer looking down her nose at the queen, without the guts to do anything."

"You're going to help them, aren't you?" Jirou said with a sigh. "The fact that you were beating the shit out of each other before doesn't matter."

"I don't care what kinda shit-heads the others might be," Fubuki replied. "If they can help me get rid of that whore, I don't give a damn."

* * *

_The train squealed to a halt. Her parents were boarding. Her father was always away on business, she thought with a pout. Always working, always up in his office, and never with her. She didn't see much more of her mother; every day after junior high it was cram school, cram school, cram school. She didn't have time to hear her talk anymore, except when she was nagging._

_"You need to study to get into Girls' Benkyou High," her mother had told her. "You and your sister will have to take over the business, you know."_

_Yamiko didn't want to go to Girls Benkyou. She didn't want to go anywhere. Everyday, it was just some kind of meaningless routine. Get up, go to school, come home and eat with her sister and a mother that did nothing but think about the future. She couldn't even talk to her sister much anymore; she was already seventeen, and her life was devoted to studying so she could go to college in Osaka. Everyone was completely focused on the future. The future, the future, the future...pretty soon, her future would be gone. Who cared, anyway? She forgot where her parents were going. Who cared? Another business trip. Another trip for the future..._

_"In other news, last week a speed train heading for Sapporo was bombed by an unknown terrorist. The only clue left on the scene was a wooden, life-sized marionette..."_

_Then, the future stopped._

* * *

Seisui could feel a lump overwhelming her throat as tears ran down her cheeks, forming a small stream to the dirt below. She clawed the dirt with hands; a feeling of despair overwhelmed her. She couldn't think, couldn't feel; her whole being felt numb. Her father looked down on her as she let out great, choking sobs.

"Seisui, banish your anger from you."

"Go away," Seisui whimpered, laying her face into the dirt, "Go away."

"Seisui, you--"

"Go..._away_!" She screamed. Councilor Han'i shook his head and walked back inside, leaving Seisui alone.

Usako knew who she was. Everything was over. Seisui pondered just lying in the dirt forever, waiting to die. The cherry blossom petals would fall on her corpse, burying her in their flurry of disgusting pinkness.

"Where am I going?" she sobbed to herself, clenching the sweaty dagger in her hand. "Where have I been?"

* * *

Sailor Pinkmoon was gasping for breath when she reached the street. Although the distance was short, the journey had taken everything out of her; the effort to hold back her tears was much harder than any physical endeavor. Hiroshi stood up from a nearby bench as she approached him; his expression was bewildered as Usako stood in front of him, gasps wracking her chest as he hugged her.

"My God," he murmured. "What happened, Usa?"

Usako shook her head as she detransformed. Hiroshi was afraid to press her; he broke off the embrace and put his arm around her as they walked down the street. Usako cried all the way. By the time they had reached the end of the block, her sobs subsided to silent tears. The street corner had a small green; there was a tiny fountain in the center of a group of benches. Hiroshi sat down the bench and gently pulled her down by her hands to sit next to him.

"What happened?" he finally asked her.

Usako paused for a moment. She wiped away her tears; but the mere thought of what had happened, much less talking about it, brought forth more sobs. Hiroshi pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes for her. He was willing to wait as long as she needed.

"Seisui..." Usako mumbled. "It's all true...everything...about Sailor Titan...Seisui...she tried...she tried..." Another round of sobs broke her off and she hid her face in her hands.

"What did she try?" Hiroshi asked, hugging her gently and rubbing her back.

"To kill me..." Usako managed to blurt out as her chest quivered and she let out another whimper.

Hiroshi didn't know what to say. Usako had said it herself; everything that Endymion and the Senshi had suspected was true. Usako, all along, had believed that Seisui loved her as a friend. Even believed that Seisui thought Usako was the only one who understood her. She had been fighting for Seisui's innocence; now, that meant nothing. Hiroshi cursed himself; he had thought he was sending her to Seisui's house to reconcile them, and he was really sending Usako to what could have been her death.

Hiroshi waited for her to stop crying. Eventually she did, her sobs subsiding into an occasional stutter. Even then, a silence hung over them as they sat on the bench.

"I suppose...I suppose she has been through a lot," Hiroshi finally said. Strangely, he had no feelings of anger for what she had tried; only concern for Usako, who had been through it. Usako would be hurt by what Seisui had done, but he knew she would not be angry, and that she would rather seek an answer to Seisui's behavior than resort to condemning words.

Usako nodded. "I...I can't blame her. What happened to her father was horrible. Even though it was my mother, and not me, I used to believe that purification was right, that Seisui just didn't understand. I tried to convince her of that. And even though I might have been changing my mind, by the time Seisui knew my feelings, I'm sure she wasn't willing to trust me. By then, she had already equated me with my mother."

She shook her head. "I always used to idolize my mother. When I was little, all I could think of was becoming more like her. I look back on that, and I realize that my mother was never that perfect. Of course, she's good--and she can be strong, at least when she's fighting Chaos--but I can also see how hopelessly fragile she is, and how little she understands her own subjects. Crystal Tokyo is no wonderland, Hiroshi. Things are just the same as they always were. People are just pretending that they're happier because they think they're supposed to be...and if they truly realize that they aren't, then they know they'll suffer for that knowledge. People have convinced themselves that pretending is enough. But people can't cope with their problems by denying them; they need to be solved."

"Then...despite her betrayal, there may be something good that will come of Seisui," Hiroshi replied. "Because in realizing that, you're already a greater person than your mother."

Usako looked at Hiroshi; even though he loved her, his duty as a priest was to the king and queen. She would have expected him to agree that the Queen had faults, but what Hiroshi had said could almost be seen as degrading to the Queen.

"Hiroshi...do you really think I'm a better person than my mother?"

"I do. You couldn't have forgotten that at I first thought you were the maiden I was looking for?"

"No...I haven't." Usako frowned. "But it was my mother, and not me; she was the maiden you were looking for."

"It couldn't have been just a mistake, Lady Serenity. You were the maiden I noticed, not your mother--even if you weren't the holder of the silver crystal, you had the purest heart."

He smiled. "And furthermore, now you are the holder. So now you have matured; both in your soul, and in that you are now the holder of the crystal. Your very own pink crystal, as well; not just a handing down of that which was once your mother's. You have inherited your mother's power, but you have also found something which is your own; and that makes you far more precious to me."

Usako smiled back. She took his hand and turned away; at the top of a fountain was a statue of her mother. Someday, she would be the ruler over this city; but it would be a city that regarded its problems without shame, instead of hiding them behind a shining street. She had Seisui to thank for this revelation; although, she thought sadly, it was coming at a terrible cost.

"I wonder..." she said sadly. "if Seisui and I will ever be friends again."

"You're going to rectify your mother's mistakes," Hiroshi responded. "It's because of Seisui that we now know what needs to be changed. And once she understands that, I think that you will be reconciled."

"I'm afraid to confront her..." Usako replied. Tears were threatening to return; the memories were flooding back to her head, frightening and unreal. "I'm afraid of what she might do."

"I will be with you."

"Then, no matter what it takes," Usako vowed, hugging Hiroshi, "I will do my best make things right again."

* * *

"Her condition is stable," the doctor told Tokimo, looking toward his mind-numbingly complicated panel of screens, buttons and measurements. "She should be waking up any moment now."

"Do you know if Sayoko is coming?" Tokimo asked, looking toward him.

"I don't know, yet," the doctor informed her. "I sent my secretary to call her and tell her yesterday evening. But I suspect so. She'll probably be here in a few hours, if she found out quickly enough."

"Good. It's very important that Sayoko comes, so don't mess up!" Tokimo admonished him, waving her finger toward him.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, miss." The doctor's gravity was surprising, given Tokimo's unusual behavior; in fact, since he wheeled Yamiko into the hospital room, Tokimo had done nothing but threaten him. Shouts of 'I'll kick your ass if she doesn't pull through!' were hollered every fifteen minutes or so. The doctor turned back toward her, flipping through some papers on a clipboard. "I'll leave her to you. I've found that the presence of strangers is usually unwelcome in cases like these."

Tokimo watched as the doctor left the room; she sighed as a stray petal fell off one of the daisies Tokimo had bought for the "ailing" Yamiko. Whatever possessed people to kill themselves was beyond her; she had never understood how someone could be sad enough that they were willing to throw something as valuable as their life away. Maybe it made some measure of sense with Yamiko, however, given her complete inability to enjoy life or the company of others. Maybe she had just gotten sick of being involved with the Moon Senshi, and couldn't think of another way out. There were some people, Tokimo decided, that just weren't meant for the job.

Yamiko's eyes began to open; Tokimo watched as tears formed in her eyes, making them bleary and glassy. Yamiko raised a weary hand to wipe it away; then she turned toward Tokimo, who was sitting in a chair beside her.

"Why am I alive?" she asked. "And why are you here?"

"I found you lying on the street when I was leaving Seisui's house."

Yamiko cursed herself. She should have known better than to take them somewhere public, but her neurotic delirium had kept her from thinking in anything resembling a logical state.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, as though it were a matter of course.

"Only overnight," Tokimo replied. She got up and looked down at Yamiko, who was looking back at her. Her infuriated expression barely seemed to touch Yamiko's unconscious; maybe the little escapist was trying to pretend she was still going to die.

"What?" Yamiko finally asked.

"What?" Tokimo angrily replied. "What the hell were you thinking, anyway? Are you really that pathetic? Seisui put up with things ten times as bad, and she never thought about suicide. I know your parents died, but--"

"How did you know my parents died?" Yamiko asked, waking up from her trance and pulling herself painfully upward.

"I tried to call your parents when you came in. Then I found out you didn't have any; only Sayoko."

"It wasn't because of my parents. Not this time, anyway," Yamiko replied. "Sometimes I still think about them...and their death was very strange, but...that's not what it was."

"Well, then, what was it?" Tokimo demanded.

"A lot of things."

"Like what!" she insisted.

"Like it's none of your business!" Yamiko snapped, turning toward her. "Since when do I have to tell you my motivations? Stay out of my life. Stay out of my problems. I'm not your friend, and I'm not interested in being a Sailor Senshi."

"If you're not interested, then why are you helping the Crimson Eagle?"

"I'm not helping anyone!" She turned away from Tokimo again, pulling up her knees and resting her forehead. "I...I betrayed the Crimson Eagle. I tried to kill Sailor Saturn when I met her. I remembered my past..."

"Then, are you switching sides again?" Tokimo asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted Yamiko joining them; especially not since she might 'change her mind' again and end up causing more trouble in the long run.

"I'm not doing anything!" she sobbed, hugging her knees and looking out the window. "Why do you think I tried to kill myself? I'm so confused. I'm so sick of this. I don't understand what's going on anymore. You and Seisui are so lucky; you just have everything all figured out for yourselves. Whether it's right or not, you aren't given the burden..." Yamiko trailed off.

"The burden of what?" Tokimo pressed her.

"Of self-doubt. Of questioning if you've done right; of knowing you don't really know anything."

"What a load of crap," Tokimo replied. "You say that you know nothing; really, you're saying 'I'm too wishy-washy to take a side.' That's not knowing nothing, that's being too lame to take a real stand.You know, doing the right thing and sticking to it isn't always easy. Of course, I'm sure you would understand that, since you don't seem to be able to do it."

"I was just trying to do what made the most sense at the time!"

"Were you really? Or were you just trying to do what was easiest?"

"I wasn't!" Yamiko protested. "After I attacked Sailor Saturn, Usako told me about Seisui. I wanted to find out the truth for myself, so I went looking for her father. And...I found him."

"So you finally know why Seisui hates Sailor Moon."

"I wish you...she...I wish you had told me! I never knew about Purification. How could I have? You never said anything. I sought revenge on Sailor Saturn because I lost my parents in my previous life...I didn't know that Seisui's father had suffered a fate so similar, and maybe even worse..."

"Death _would_ have been a better punishment!" Tokimo said vehemently. "Then, at least, his memory wouldn't have been dirtied!"

"I...you may be right. I felt so sorry for myself. But all this time, what Seisui had to endure was just as bad. I can't live with myself anymore. I'm sick of not knowing who's right, not knowing anything at all. Queen Serenity ruled prosperously for so long. People seem to adore her. I couldn't believe that Seisui's hatred was justified. I was certain I was in the right."

"Well, you weren't."

Yamiko glanced up at Tokimo, her expression racked with pain. "...I'm sorry."

There was a long pause. Yamiko didn't expect Tokimo to accept her apology; Tokimo was stubborn, and she was sure Tokimo had a host of other reasons not to like her.

"It's all right," Tokimo replied. "I suppose you responded like any normal person would have. Thankfully, I'm not normal. But the one you really owe an apology to is Seisui. She's the one who's suffering the most from all of this."

Yamiko nodded. "Maybe I'll try to talk to her."

Tokimo paused. "Well...I better go check on Seisui. You can talk to her tomorrow, okay?"

Yamiko frowned. If she was going to have to do something as difficult as talking to Seisui, it would be best done quickly. "Do you mind if I come with you?"

"Well, I think that--"

"Yamiko!"

The hospital door banged against the wall with a resounding thud. A short woman stood framed in the doorway; her hair was cut in the style of women who spend a little too much time downtown, and her clothes, a red tube top and a black skirt about the same size, seemed to reaffirm Tokimo's suspicion.

"S-Sayoko?" Yamiko said a bit nervously. She turned toward Tokimo with an accusing glare. "You told Sayoko about this?"

Tokimo, sensing this was her cue to leave, waved animatedly and ran briskly out of the room to avoid further trouble.

"Yami! What the hell were you thinking? I thought you were better. Did you forget to take your medicine?" Sayoko asked, her tone incensed.

"I could hardly have forgotten; I took so many that they had to pump my stomach."

Sayoko paused. Her initial anger, Yamiko noticed, had been abated by the afterthought of concern.

"Yamiko...why? I know mom and dad are gone, but..."

"It's not mom and dad," Yamiko interjected. "A lot's happened since you left for Osaka. I didn't mean to bring you back; I wish you hadn't come."

"Gee, thanks," Sayoko replied irreverently, pulling a chair up next to her bed. "Well, I'm here now, so you better tell me."

"It's a long story."

"Well, you better get started, then, because I'm not leaving until it's done."

Yamiko sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

"Stop beating around the bush, Yami."

"Okay, fine," she snapped. "You've heard the news, right? About Sailor Titan?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So, she's not the only Moon Senshi. I am, too."

Sayoko paused. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head, too?"

"No! I didn't. Here, I have my locket," she replied sharply, pulling out the black and silver brooch. "I'm Sailor Phoebe. And Tokimo, the girl that just left, is Sailor Charon."

Sayoko opened the brooch and slowly examined it. It definitely looked genuine, but her face became more and more skeptical as Yamiko proceeded to explain her story of the discovery of the quest against Queen Diana, her alliance with the Crimson Eagle and the idea of Purification.

"I have to say," Sayoko replied, handing the locket back to her, "I have trouble believing the Queen would do something like that. She's insanely forgiving, and while she might try to change Han'i's mind, I don't think she would force her opinions on someone."

"It's definitely true. I saw Councilor Han'i myself..." Yamiko shuddered. "What happened to mom and dad is nothing compared to that."

"I don't know, Yamiko," Sayoko said with a sigh. "I really think you should stay out of this. I'm sure Tokimo and Seisui's intentions are noble, but their motives seem warped. And anyway, if you're going to choose an occupation, being a Sailor Senshi is just about the worst. You say Purification is horrible, but if you and your friends are caught, then I'm sure that's what's in store for you... And honestly..." Sayoko looked downward and pulled out her pocket mirror, pretending to be interested in her make-up.

"Yeah?" Yamiko asked.

"Well, I'd rather not have a daikon radish for a sister."

* * *

"I need your guidance."

Sailor Pluto turned around. She was surprised by the suddenness of Hotaru's entrance, and the strangeness of her request. After the Black Moon had been defeated, the entrance of someone through the gates of time usually meant a Saturday visit. Hotaru, evidently, had other things on her mind.

"Has something happened?" Sailor Pluto asked.

"Many things. But I need to speak with you, alone--before the others do."

Sailor Pluto looked on in confusion. "The rest of the royal family, you mean? But why?"

"It's complicated. But suffice to say, the royal family has been busy lately; a new threat has appeared, and--"

"If Chaos had attacked, I should have been able to sense its presence."

"This isn't Chaos. There is a strange new group of Sailor Senshi, called the Moon Senshi. Do you know anything about them? They say they are trying to prevent a former queen of the moon, Diana, from being reborn in Chibi-Usa's daughter. Is there any truth to that story?"

"Moon Senshi..." Sailor Pluto paused, thinking to herself. "I know very little about them. They came before my time."

"Before your time? I thought you had no time; your life began at the beginning of time itself."

"My power over time extends that far, but not my life," she explained. "There was another Sailor Pluto, during the time of a ruler named Diana. Diana was Queen Serenity's mother."

"Do you know anything about her, or the time in which she lived? About the war of the Moon Senshi?"

"Very little. Only that shortly after a war, the former Sailor Pluto was killed, and I, her daughter, was sent to replace her. The Senshi of the moons were said to be a proud and warlike people; but these were only rumors, spoken by mortals when I was small, and they soon disappeared. I always believed the war to be a legend."

Hotaru couldn't help being a little disappointed. Sailor Pluto knew no more than Luna and Artemis had, and traveling through time to find out more was forbidden. Her only consolation was that the other Senshi would learn nothing more than she did, and that would buy her time while the others were still looking for evidence that Seisui was Sailor Titan. In the meantime, she would have to find some way of gleaning more information on her own.

"But Hotaru..." Sailor Pluto said, interrupting her thoughts. "Why all this secrecy? What is it that you need to know before the rest of the royal family? Is there some reason they can't be trusted?"

"I'm trying to save a lost lamb," Hotaru responded, "before it becomes a sacrifice."

"Who is it? Surely you don't think the royal family would hurt an innocent person?"

Hotaru said nothing.

"Why wasn't I consulted about the Moon Senshi sooner, Hotaru? Just what is going on?"

"Everyone has been very busy," Hotaru replied. "I'm sure they'll want your advice soon."

"This isn't just about the Moon Senshi, is it? Hotaru, what do you mean to try that wouldn't have the King and Queen's approval? Who is this lost lamb--is it one of these Moon Senshi?"

"Thank you for your guidance, Setsuna. I'm afraid I have matters to attend to now..."

"Hotaru, you are the leader of the Outer Senshi! Surely you don't mean to keep me--us--in the dark about this?"

"This has nothing to do with my being your leader. This is a matter of personal importance."

"Has something happened to Small Lady?"

"Chibi-Usa is fine," Hotaru said absently.

"That couldn't have been sincere," Sailor Pluto said, her voice taking on a firm, almost angry tone. "Small Lady is the only person you treasure above anyone else. But you know Small Lady is important to me, too. Even if you don't tell the others, I need to know what has happened to her."

"The others already know anyway..." Hotaru sighed. "That was how I came to know, after all."

Sailor Pluto looked gravely down at Hotaru; Hotaru sighed. She knew that Sailor Pluto was at least as close as she was to Chibi-Usa. After all, it was Sailor Pluto who had let Chibi-Usa escape to the future; it was Pluto that Chibi-Usa had affectionately called "Puu."

"Chibi-Usa has befriended Seisui Han'i," Hotaru explained. "And Seisui Han'i is highly suspected to be Sailor Titan. And Sailor Titan...Well...she recently attempted to assassinate the queen."

"My God..." Sailor Pluto mumbled. "Why wasn't I told?"

"As I said, everyone has been very busy and very worried about Chibi-Usa. She had been fighting the three Moon Senshi for some time before she said anything to us; and the information was more or less forced out of her. The only person she confides in anymore is Helios. And I'm not sure what Seisui has been telling her, but...well, I've learned of some very disturbing ideas she's picked up."

"Do these ideas have anything to do with Councilor Han'i?" Sailor Pluto asked. "Does she know...?"

"I don't think so," Hotaru interrupted her, sparing her the effort of explaining. "Though, as I said, I'm not certain exactly what Seisui has been telling her. But as a point of fact, these ideas seem unrelated to anything Councilor Han'i once said; the ideas have primarily to do with Purification."

"What about it?"

"Seisui seems to have convinced Chibi-Usa that it's wrong. I don't know why, but...well, I'm trying to find out more, both about the Moon Senshi, and, if possible, Seisui."

"But what are you trying to hide, Hotaru? Why are you sneaking around like this?"

"I've been sent to Goban to keep an eye on Chibi-Usa. The possibility that I will find proof that Seisui is Sailor Titan is extremely high, and if I do, when the royal family finds out..."

"She will be purified, of course," Sailor Pluto replied. "And as long as Small Lady believes that purification is wrong..."

"Chibi-Usa has suffered. The loneliness of having such busy parents was hard on her; the humiliation of being trapped as a child almost signaled her downfall. These wrongs were not intended, but no matter how she hides it, I know that Chibi-Usa feels resentment toward her parents. If it came to pass that Seisui was purified, however, I do not think Chibi-Usa would ever entirely forgive them. Certainly not if purification is, in fact, harmful."

"Then, before Seisui is purified by the King and Queen, you need to convince Small Lady that Seisui is really her enemy."

"I'm not so sure I want to; as I said, I'm trying to save a lost lamb. I want to reconcile Seisui's anger. I'm not sure why she hates purification, but if I can convince her to forgive the queen, then her and Chibi-Usa's friendship may be able to thrive. If I don't, and Chibi-Usa finds out about Seisui's true identity before I'm able to change Titan's mind..."

"Don't you think that's a bit much to hope for?" Sailor Pluto replied sadly. "If she knows about her father, and believes that he was right..."

"Chibi-Usa and Usagi were able to look past the evil in my heart. It would be unfair to treat Seisui differently."

"But Hotaru, you were possessed by Chaos; if anything, you were a victim, not a perpetrator. Seisui's flawed character is the source of this crime."

"My character was flawed as well; weak enough to let myself become possessed by Chaos."

"Everyone is weak sometimes, Hotaru, and Chaos is a powerful foe. You couldn't have been expected to resist it, especially not when you were so young--"

"Seisui is young, and Seisui is weak. The evil in our own hearts is the very same evil that Chaos is made of."

Sailor Pluto looked at Hotaru. If Seisui's opinions followed those of her father, the chance of her being reconciled with the Queen was seemed small. Councilor Han'i had not cared what happened to him. His life meant the destruction of that which he despised, and he was happy to sacrifice it; Seisui, she feared, may very well have grown up the same way. Hotaru, she felt, was being too optimistic--assuming that Hotaru's own transformation from sinister to good could be repeated with Seisui. Sailor Pluto, however, was loath to share her skepticism; perhaps there was some hope for Seisui that Hotaru, having met her, was able to cherish.

"Very well, then," she said at last. "Good luck to you, and give Small Lady my regards."

Hotaru inclined her head and left through the great prison door of time.

* * *

Seisui didn't know how she had managed to get herself in bed; maybe it was the desire for her mother not to ask questions. More likely, it was to avoid her father. If she locked her door, he couldn't come in. She put the comforter over her face. In her bed, no one could see her or remember her. She tried not to think about what had happened.

"Seisui..." Ana called from behind the door. "You have a...umm...visitor."

"Tell them to go away," Seisui said hoarsely.

"It's Kouken, you know."

"Tell him to go away."

"Don't you think you ought to unlock the door?"

"No."

"Seisui, what's gotten into you? You've never been like this before. Sure, depressed, but...you've always be so resilient. You never stick around in bed like this."

Seisui didn't say anything. There was a long pause; eventually, Seisui heard her door make a "clunk" sound as her sister forced open the lock.

The door opened only a crack; Kouken stepped through. Ana evidently didn't want to become involved, at least not yet, since the door closed after his entry.

"Go away," Seisui mumbled from under the disheveled sheets.

"What happened to you?" he asked, jumping on her bed.

"I thought you lived with Tokimo."

"Not anymore. We got in a fight..." he mumbled. "So I'm living here now."

"Whatever."

"Something really awful must have happened," Kouken continued, a hint of concern leaking into his nonchalant tone. "How did you end up loitering around in bed like this?"

Seisui didn't reply.

"Seisui! I'm your guardian. It's my business to know. Does this have something to do with Usako?"

"Yes..." she murmured, her voice wavering.

"Well," he said, walking on top of her back, "what happened?" he repeated, this time more forcefully.

Seisui was saved from answering him by the unceremonious slam of her bedroom door into the adjacent wall. Kouken turned around; it was Tokimo, the person whom he least wanted to see.

"What're are you doing here!" Tokimo demanded, looking at Kouken. "Trying to sabotage me and Seisui's friendship, I'll bet...! I'll strangle you, you stupid little--"

"Calm down, Tokimo!" Kouken snapped, turning toward her. "I had to live somewhere. I can't starve to death!"

"Why not?"

Kouken sighed and turned around, back toward the front of the bed.

"What happened here, huh?" Tokimo asked, looking suspiciously toward Kouken. "How did you get Seisui so upset?"

"I just got here," Kouken snapped. "I didn't come in yesterday because I thought Seisui would still be working things out with her family."

"If it wasn't you, then what was it?"

"Why don't you ask Seisui?"

"Before I say anything to Seisui, you have to leave," Tokimo demanded.

"What?" he protested. "Why?"

"Sometimes people need to be alone with their friends," she said. Kouken opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. Tokimo, he thought in annoyance, had a point. He turned around and left the room, tawny tail dragging behind him.

"That got rid of him," Tokimo pronounced victoriously. "Show him for treating me like that..."

Tokimo turned toward the lump underneath the quilted covers. She walked over to the side of the bed and began nudging Seisui.

"C'mon, get out from under there!" she demanded as Seisui's body moved limply back and forth. "What are you, A quitter? A coward? Yamiko?"

"Go away."

"I'm your friend, Seisui Han'i. If you want me to go away, you're going to have to force me out. And you can't. So don't bother trying."

"I don't care."

Tokimo sighed. This was obviously going to take something a little bit more extreme. Tokimo returned to the foot of the bed, grabbed the blue comforters firmly on each end, and started pulling. Seisui put up a strong resistance, but she didn't have a chance of keeping the covers on when Tokimo was putting all of her weight into pulling them off. The blankets snapped back suddenly; Tokimo caught herself before falling over.

Seisui was still curled up, her school uniform streaked with dirt, her face red and puffy. Her face had been turned toward the ceiling; no longer hidden safely under the covers, it lingered in view for a moment before she buried it in her arms.

Tokimo returned to the side of the bed; she sat down and rested her elbows on the flannel-covered mattress. She looked at Seisui.

"C'mon, Seisui," she said encouragingly, tousling Seisui's hair. "Cheer up. If you tell me what's wrong, I might be able to help you."

"It's too late. You should just stay away from me while you can...if you don't, I might get you in trouble..."

"Nobody can get Tokimo in trouble! She always triumphs!"

"Not this time...now, it's all over..."

"It's never all over. I'll still be your friend, no matter what!"

Seisui looked up at Tokimo; tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Even if I'm purified?"

"Don't be dumb, Seisui. Why would you be purified? Nobody knows who you are. Even if they did, we'd just beat 'em down!"

"There's no way we could defeat them alone," Seisui sniffled. "It's no use. We're doomed."

"I'll never give up."

"That won't matter if you've had your will forced out of you...become like my father, and it's all my fault..."

"We came into this together! I was even a senshi before you, remember?"

"But I encouraged you to fight," Seisui said.

"That's because you were right."

"It doesn't matter whether I'm right or not. It's all over."

"Why is it all over, Seisui? We still have a chance!"

"No!" she shouted, turning her head back into the pillow. "Usako knows. She knows now! I tried to transform in front of her. I couldn't...I... "

Seisui started crying full force; Tokimo gently lifted her off of the bed and hugged her. "Don't be dumb, Seisui," she admonished her. "Even if everyone knows, we'll fight them, and win! We have the same power as Sailor Moon, remember? The power to make miracles happen. And anyway, you were Usako's friend, right?"

"That's..." Seisui was interrupted by a bout of sobs; she hated being reminded of Usako, because that made her think about what had happened. About her father, about trying to transform...about her failures...

"'That's' isn't much of an answer. Spit out the rest of the sentence."

"That's what she thought," Seisui managed, wiping her tears off on Tokimo's shirt.

"Well, as stupid and obnoxious as Usako is, do you really think she would tattle on her friend?"

"She might...if she thought she was doing what's best. I was the one that tried to kill her m-mother...she might do it...if she thought I had to be purified--to protect the royal family..."

"But Usako has the crystal now, doesn't she?"

"I guess so..." Seisui half-heartedly replied.

"Then if it was just a matter of purifying you, she could do it herself. If she handed you in, not only would you get purified, but there'd be a big public mess and a lot of humiliation. And if Usako thinks of you as a friend, I'd think she'd want to spare you the disgrace of letting the whole world know about your identity."

"But how could Usako think of me as a friend now that she knows I'm Sailor Titan?"

"This is Usako we're talking about. The same one that befriended Hotaru when she was an evil, psychotic Chaos-possessed freak. The same one that became an evil Chaos-freak herself! I would even think that she could be a little bit more understanding. Especially with the 'We're the nicest people in the world' look the royal family tries to show off."

Seisui opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out the dagger her father had given her; when she had returned, she had absentmindedly placed it there, perhaps hoping that if it were stuffed away its memory would not haunt her. Was Tokimo right? It seemed odd that even Usako might still have faith in her after this; even Hotaru, though evil, had been evil through the influence of Chaos. Seisui had acted of her own volition.

"What's the dagger for?" Tokimo asked, pulling it out of Seisui's hands and inspecting it. "It's pretty cool. I like the snake."

"My father left it to me. It's the only gift I've gotten from him since I was six years old."

Tokimo looked at the dagger in awe. "Did your father give this to you so that you could kill the queen?"

"I'm not sure," Seisui said uncertainly. "I only just found out that he once tried to, himself."

"Whoa! Really? But your dad wasn't even a Sailor Senshi. He must have been crazy to--"

Seisui looked up at Tokimo sharply; Tokimo could already see the tear droplets swimming threateningly in her eyes.

"Well, he may have been crazy, but he had the right idea." Tokimo handed the dagger back to Seisui gently; Seisui took it and looked at it with a face of despondent nostalgia.

"We both failed..."

"Sailor Senshi can get through the doors, right?" Tokimo asked.

"What doors?" Seisui asked.

"The doors of the Crystal Palace, of course."

"Yeah...but why--"

"We're going to get rid of the Queen, once and for all," Tokimo explained animatedly, clenching a fist in determination. "We'll attack the queen again--but this time, we'll all help you!"

"Are you crazy, Tokimo? The last time I tried, I was almost purified..."

"We won't fail! I'll be helping you this time, and so will Yamiko."

"Yamiko?" Seisui asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Tokimo replied. "Yamiko met your father. She's on our side now!"

"Yamiko met my father...?"

"Uh-huh. Yesterday. And once she saw how bad Purification was, she decided you were right. In fact, she felt so bad about what she did, she tried to kill herself. I saved her, though."

"I can't believe anyone else is on my side..."

"It's not unbelievable at all!" Tokimo replied stubbornly. "I think everyone would agree with you if they knew what you had been through. What happened to your father is unforgivable!"

"Maybe, but...even with the three of us, there's no way we could win. There are nine Sailor Senshi, and that's not including Sailor Pinkmoon and the Asteroids. Our cause has no hope."

"Don't be silly, Seisui! Sailor Moon beat up all those impossibly hard Chaos-babies, right?"

"I guess so..."

"And Sailor Moon's a Moon Senshi, right?"

"Well... kind of..."

"And we're Moon Senshi too, right?"

"Yes..."

"Then we're as powerful as Sailor Moon. Which means we can beat up the lot of them, no problem!"

"But Sailor Moon has the Silver Crystal," Seisui argued.

"No, she doesn't! Remember, Usako has the crystal now. Serenity can't even transform! See, it's all part of my master plan. Me and Yamiko and Kouken will keep them busy and distracted, while you head up to the Queen's room and kick-ass--Seisui-style!"

"Seisui-style?" Seisui replied skeptically. She had tried so many times to eliminate Queen Serenity and her daughter... "I know you're trying to give me hope, Tokimo...but this is just stupid. We're walking into a death trap. It's about time I paid attention to my father's words...This hell is for no mortal to oppose. Even if I am a Sailor Senshi, and not mortal, I'm still no match for the royal family."

"We aren't walking into a death trap!" Tokimo shouted. Tokimo's voice sounded unusually angry; Seisui jumped a little. While she had no reservations about insulting other people, she had always been cheerful and kind to Seisui. "It isn't stupid. If we work together, we could create a new future. A future where you wouldn't get beaten up, and a future where people could be free to think on their own. But if you just sit under the blankets and give up--give up like a loser, just like everyone else around here--then nothing will happen! I'm disappointed in you, Seisui. I thought you had more guts than this. I thought you had more determination than this! It isn't stupid..."

Seisui was silent. She almost opened her mouth a few times, thought about saying something. But the look on Tokimo face said that she'd been hurt, and Seisui felt so bad she was afraid to say anything.

"I'm sorry," she finally said, her voice weak and uncertain. "I thought I could do something, even though my father couldn't...and then I couldn't transform, and the dagger didn't work..."

"You father gave you that dagger, didn't he?"

Seisui nodded. She was still holding the dagger in one hand; the handle was sweaty. She suddenly realized she had been gripping it tightly, and the muscles in her palm felt strained. She put the dagger back on her cedar bureau and clenched her soil-streaked palms nervously together.

"I don't believe your father wanted you to give up. Even if he told you that, this dagger proves that he believed in you. Some part of him always wanted you to fight. We can do this, Seisui! If me and Yamiko distract the planetary Senshi, then maybe you can sneak off and attack Serenity. See, we could do it in the middle of the night. We'd all go in by the front door, really quiet-like, and then we'd split up. You could go upstairs and hide; then me and Yamiko would make a lot of noise downstairs. All the Senshi would go rushing to see what it was, and while they were doing that, you could sneak into the Queen's bedroom. After all, they wouldn't want the defenseless Queen to get involved in the dangerous fight, right? So you could kill the Queen while we were fighting. Then all that would be left is Usako! And we can take care of her anytime."

"But you two will be fighting the Sailor Senshi all alone...and if you're caught, you'll be purified."

"Nah, that won't be a problem," Tokimo said nonchalantly, patting Seisui on the shoulder. "If worse comes to worse, I can always teleport away again! They'll never get us."

"Are you sure?" Seisui said nervously. If Tokimo were purified, too...

"Definitely. No one will bring us down!"

"Okay," Seisui finally agreed, nodding her head. "We'll do it. But you have to be careful, Tokimo!"

"Yeah!" Tokimo shouted enthusiastically, whapping Seisui on the shoulder. "That's more like the Seisui I know!"

"Shouldn't we tell Kouken?" Seisui suggested, looking toward the door.

"Why does he need to know? All he does is hand out the goods."

"Well...he did give us our powers and everything..."

"Who cares?" Tokimo defiantly replied, folding her arms in protest. "He may have given us our powers, but he's a stupid jerk. I've decided that animals should definitely not talk. At least not furry hot dogs, anyway."

"What did you have a fight about?"

"Kouken thinks I'm stupid," she responded matter-of-factly. "He thinks I'm not good enough to be your friend."

"Kouken is very negative..." Seisui sighed, leaning on pillow propped against her iron-worked bed. "I guess you give a lot of people the wrong impression. I like you, though, Tokimo. You're real...you don't try to become something that you aren't, like everyone else does."

"That's because I'm just naturally awesome," Tokimo said with a grin.

"In any case, no matter how insensitive Kouken may be, I think it would be a bad idea not to tell him. Who knows? He might even be able to help us."

"Kouken? Be helpful? You're giving him too much credit. He just sits around and tells you to think up plans."

"He knows more about the Rainbow Millennium than we do," Seisui argued. "And he might know something else about our powers. Like why you were able to teleport."

"Or how you summoned that freakish man."

_"We are alike..."_

The strange, dark face appeared briefly in Seisui's mind, a ghostly wisp that disconcerted her.

"Seisui?" Tokimo said somewhat tentatively, putting a hand on the top of her head. Seisui's hair was full of grit and sand, with a few pieces of vermiculite here and there. Seisui looked upwards at Tokimo and shook her head vigorously, prompting Tokimo to remove her now dusty hand.

"Sorry...I just zoned out. But you're right. We could figure out that, too."

"I guess I should get the stupid hot-dog back..." Tokimo said begrudgingly, walking to Seisui's door and turning the doorknob. Kouken immediately poked his head through; the rest of long, slender body slid behind him through the small crack in the door. Tokimo considered shutting the door midway through his entrance but thought better of it. There was a small possibility he'd have more gadgets.

"You were eavesdropping," Tokimo said accusingly, noting his speedy entrance.

"I was not!" he said defensively. Tokimo picked him up by his tail and threw him on Seisui's bed, causing several squeals of protest.

"Tokimo!" he hissed, scowling up at her from the bed.

"Here's the plan, hot-dog," Tokimo began. "Me and Yamiko and Seisui are going to attack the Crystal Palace tomorrow. Me and Yamiko are going to distract the nine Senshi while Seisui goes in to kill Queen Serenity. Got it?"

"Sounds like a Tokimo plan. Illogical, reckless, and quickly thought up. Besides, the Queen isn't important, not to my cause, and not to Seisui's. If we kill her, there's still an heir to the throne and a holder of the crystal; which means that Diana will be reincarnated, and Serenity's regime will continue."

"I want revenge on the woman who destroyed my father," Seisui replied. "And anyway, if we kill the Queen, Usako will be more vulnerable. The royal house will be in shambles--"

"Chaos will abound!" Tokimo interrupted enthusiastically.

Kouken paused. The plan was reckless, but what Seisui said was partially true. If they could kill the Queen, there would be a small period of time when the royal family would be in total confusion--and Queen Serenity was, it was true, far more defenseless than her daughter. If they waited too long, however, the security of the palace would only be heightened, and far from being easier to kill Sailor Pinkmoon, it would become impossibly hard. It would be unlikely that the King would even let her out of the palace.

"I'm not sure I like this plan," he finally responded.

"It doesn't matter whether you like it or not!" Tokimo snapped. "We're doing it. Right, Seisui?"

Seisui paused nervously; far from disliking Tokimo's plan, she was worried about hearing Kouken's censure. She nodded anyway, however, because if they didn't attack the queen, it was unlikely she would remain unpurified; and if she was purified, she would never have another chance to redeem her father's name.

"Seisui!" Kouken reprimanded her. "I know the Queen purified your father, but--"

"This is my last chance!" Seisui protested. "If I don't kill the Queen now, I may never be able to."

"Killing Usako makes infinitely more sense! If you kill her, there's no crystal holder. If you kill her, it won't even be possible for people to be purified! Isn't that what you really want?"

"The Queen is mortal. I can kill her, and if I do, my father will finally be avenged. But Usako...it's too late. She knows who I am. She'll have her guard up, Helios will have his guard up, and before long, Usako will tell the royal family-- by then, they'll more ready than ever for an attack. Maybe if I strike now, I'll be able to do something, at least."

Kouken looked at Seisui; she held an expression of determined dignity, but her dirt-streaked complexion and puffy red eyes told the true tale of her feelings. Seisui was desperate and afraid; right now, she would listen to anything that gave her something to believe in, even a plan as desperate as this. Kouken didn't even want to tell her not to try it. He wasn't sure if this was because he didn't want to hurt her feelings, or because he was afraid of just how desperate Seisui had become.

"If you're going to do it, you're going to do it. It doesn't look like I'm going to be able stop you. But if you have to try this, you have to be careful. Tokimo, you and Yamiko need to be ready to run away at any moment. And Seisui...you can't stick around trying to kill the queen. You need to enter and leave quickly, and if you aren't able to do it fast, don't try it at all."

Seisui nodded. She had no intention of following his instructions; at this point, she was ready to kill Queen Serenity if it meant her own life.

"No problem. Me and Yamiko will be able to escape faster than you can say 'Kick your a--'"

"Yes, Tokimo, we know," Kouken replied.

* * *

By the time Hiroshi and Usako reached the palace, it was already dark. They had walked most of the way in silence; Usako hadn't felt like talking, and Hiroshi didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. There was an unspoken promise between them that the truth about Seisui would not be told. Although they both knew that Usako would never agree to purify Seisui if she were found out, it was inevitable that some other severe punishment would be put in its place. Punishing the Moon Senshi would help nothing, change nothing. The only hope for Seisui--perhaps even the Moon Senshi--was reconciliation with Usako.

As they walked toward the Crystal Palace, the ornate doors magically appeared in front of them. Usako frowned as she thought of the mildew-covered, trash-laden houses of the poor. The thought of living in the decadent palace almost made her feel uncomfortable now.

"It feels unfair, somehow," Hiroshi quietly mumbled. Usako inclined her head.

The doors opened before them and they walked into the vestibule.

"It's almost seven," Hiroshi observed, glancing at the huge, golden clock hanging on the wall. "Everyone must be having dinner."

"I'm not really hungry," Usako said indifferently. "We can get something later from the kitchen, okay?"

"Okay."

"I guess we should do our homework," she said with a sigh. "We should avoid acting in a way that might seem suspicious."

"Are you going to tell Hotaru?"

"I don't know..."

"She'd want to know. You know she won't tell anyone, Usako. And she's your best friend..."

"I know. I mean, she's trying to help...but I'm not sure I want her to. This is really a conflict between me and Seisui."

Hiroshi looked hesitantly toward her. "I know this is between you and Seisui...but...well...I'd like to help you too, Usako. I mean, I won't come between you two...I'd like to support you, though, and maybe help you find a way to help Seisui."

Usako smiled. "Of course, Hiroshi. We're more than just friends, right?"

He blushed. "Well...yeah..."

"Then we should share our problems with each other. No secrets." Usako kissed him on the cheek and Hiroshi gave her an affectionate hug in return.

"Don't talk to Seisui without me, okay, Usa?" he said worriedly. "As long as she has her locket, she's too dangerous for you to be with alone."

"Say, Hiroshi..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Seisui would really do it?" She looked up the grandiose staircase. "Do you think she'd really try to kill me?"

Hiroshi rubbed her back comfortingly as Usako laid her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know. Seisui...probably not. She might come close, but I don't think she really would. She's too scared, too alone...but Sailor Titan...It's almost like she becomes a different person."

"They're both the same person, Helios. Seisui inherited her way of thinking from her father. As Sailor Titan or Seisui, why should she hesitate?" a voice rejoined.

"Who's there?" Hiroshi shouted, stepping away from Usako. "Who's been listening?"

Haruko stepped from behind the stairwell; Her blazing, fuchsia hair drew their attention as she came into view. The other three girls followed. It was an easy enough place to eavesdrop. The stairwell was wide, so they could clump together in the very back. It didn't help that the stairs were set back from the wall; no one was apt to look in on either side.

"You're going tell Mama, aren't you?" Usako asked them angrily. "You're supposed to be my Senshi, and yet you were eavesdropping on me to find out the truth about Seisui."

"We were," Akiko admitted. "But we weren't planning on telling the Queen. We mean to help you, Lady, not turn you in. We had some important information we were going to tell you. It may not be so useful, now."

"We were gonna tell you right away," Fuyuko explained. "But it looked like you and Hiroshi were talking about something juicy, so we decided to listen in."

Natsuko stepped on Fuyuko's foot, eliciting a cringe from their sprightly, loud-mouthed member. Hiroshi looked very disapprovingly toward them, but said nothing.

"If it's about Sailor Titan being Seisui, it's obviously irrelevant now, so there's no point in telling me," Usako said impatiently.

"You still feel sympathy for Seisui, don't you?" Haruko asked.

"Yes. Seisui has been through a lot."

"Because her father was demoted, correct?" she prompted.

Usako paused; she looked toward Hiroshi, uncertain as to if she should let them know the truth. Hiroshi nodded. Her own Sailor Team should be trusted with something this important.

"No," Usako responded.

"If it wasn't because of that, what was it?" Natsuko asked skeptically, raising a green eyebrow.

"Seisui's father was purified," Usako explained. "I know that doesn't sound like a punishment, but...it really does terrible things to people. Removing someone's negative emotions destroys their motivation; not only that, but because they feel contempt for no one, they don't feel true, discriminating love for anyone, either. Seisui's father was purified, so that he would love everyone and feel kindness; but in doing so, the special fondness he felt for Seisui and her family is gone. It's hard to explain, but...because Han'i loves everyone equally, his love for Seisui no longer means anything."

"You mean that Councilor Han'i no longer loves Seisui?" Akiko asked skeptically. "Isn't that the opposite of what purification does?"

"No, you misunderstand me. I mean that he loves Seisui as much as anyone else, as much as a person on the street, as much as the Queen who purified him. Because his love for Seisui is not special, it doesn't mean anything to her--to anyone."

Haruko paused. Purification, by these words, did seem immoral. It was hard to say how accurate Usako perception of it was, however; Seisui might employ any kind of trickery for her own gain, including several well-rehearsed lies to gain Usako's sympathy. Regardless, even a punishment as harsh as the one Usako had described might be understandable, under the circumstances. Since Usako did not know the reasoning behind the punishment, however, it was natural for her to believe it unfair.

"Whether what you say about Purification is true or not remains to be seen. It is entirely possible that Seisui could be deceiving you, possibly with her father's cooperation. Besides, Seisui's circumstances are not what you think they are. As punishment for being slanderous, it is understandable that you would think purification--as you have come to view it--or even demotion might be too harsh. After all, it is part of the Councilor's job to scrutinize the queen; as out of line as his criticism was, it was a harsh punishment. But the reason why Councilor Han'i was punished has nothing to do with his criticism," Haruko explained.

"Then what was it?" Usako asked defensively.

"Usako...Councilor Han'i did a lot more than criticize your mother," Haruko replied. "He tried to kill her."

"That couldn't be true," Hiroshi said. "How couldn't we know about something that important? And even if it were kept from us for some reason, how on earth would you have found out?"

"The only reason we even know is because we searched through the records in the control room--without permission," Natsuko said.

"But why would Papa keep something like that a secret?"

"He says it's because he didn't want you to lose your confidence in your abilities. Your mother, as I understand it, was in the hospital for upwards of a month with severe wounds. Councilor Han'i snuck into her room and stabbed her with a dagger; he barely missed her heart. Your father told us that if you knew your mother was almost killed by a mortal man that you would lose confidence in your own powers as a Sailor Senshi, because yours is the same power as hers."

"Really, I think it's because he didn't want to make your mother and himself look vulnerable," Fuyuko cut in.

"Does Seisui know this?" Usako asked, hopeful that she, like Usako, may have been under the mistaken impression that her father's punishment had been a gross injustice.

"It's hard to say," Haruko sighed. "But judging from how close Sailor Titan's attack mirrored Han'i's, it would make sense if she did."

"And the dagger..." Usako mumbled in disappointment, remembering the blade Seisui had pulled from her pocket.

"But if it's true that Councilor Han'i's punishment fit his crime, Haruko," Hiroshi said guardedly, "Why would Seisui still seek the Queen's death so vehemently?"

"Because Seisui is petty," Akiko said bluntly. "Why does she need more motive than that? Her father was destroyed; to her, that's the only thing that matters. I'm sure it means nothing to her that his crime was equally malignant, or that, under the circumstances, the queen may have had no other choice but to punish him."

"Seisui isn't petty!" Usako shouted, stepping angrily toward Akiko. "It's easy for you to say her crime wasn't justified. You're not the one that's had to live with a father who's nothing but an empty ghost!"

"It's just as easy for you to say that her crimes _were_ justified! You didn't lose anything from Councilor Han'i's attempt. By the time you returned to Crystal Tokyo, your mother was fine. But if Queen Serenity had died that day, you wouldn't sympathize with Seisui so easily. You'd be ready to banish her for trying to repeat her father's crimes!"

"You must think your mother is invulnerable if you don't see the danger involved with letting Seisui roam free!" Haruko added. "And Usako, if you continue to associate with her, you'll be killed yourself! You criticize our lack of obedience, but if you keep putting yourself at risk this way, it's our job as your guardians to interfere and save your life!"

"That's right, isn't it?" Usako said in resignation. "A guardian's job is not to respect my leadership. It's to look after me like I'm a child. Very well, then. Seisui will be found out, and punished, and my mother's well-intentioned, horribly flawed empire will continue!"

"Why do you still take Seisui's side, even after you know the truth about her, and about her father? How can you see Seisui as the victim when your own mother was nearly killed? Do you think that Serenity is invincible to any harm, some sort of untouchable paragon?" Fuyuko asked.

"It's because I know she isn't a paragon that I'm taking Seisui's side! My mother means well...I know that, but...how can I ignore the vacant look in Seisui's father's eyes? The rotting houses of the poor? I know it's wrong for Seisui to want to kill the queen, but maybe I want to believe that it's okay to be wrong about some things. I want to believe that we don't have to be perfect people." Usako shook her head, frustrated, and looked toward Fuyuko. "Everything associated with the palace is covered in this thick blanket of righteousness. Seisui showed me that there is wrong--even amongst the Royal Family--and it's because of the wrong Seisui saw that her own bitterness was cultivated. If Seisui's father had lived in a world where the Queen wasn't thought of as some kind of untouchable paragon, a place where questioning her was normal and not rebellious and evil, maybe things would have turned out differently."

"Are you saying the Queen is responsible for her own brush with death?" Fuyuko queried.

Usako didn't reply; she looked down at the shining marble floor dejectedly. She wanted to believe in Seisui, but her loyalty to her mother still tugged at the back of her mind. Now that she knew the truth, what Seisui had done was not only wrong, but unjustified. Despite that, the ramshackle homes haunted her, and so did Seisui's father. There was no way that Seisui, as a young child, could have understood anything but the absence of a beloved father. And there was no way she could associate anything but hatred with the perpetrator of that crime. Usako loved her mother, but the longer her rule continued in the same way, the more Seisuis and Councilor Han'is there would be. If Usako handed Seisui over to her family--to be purified, maybe even banished--it would be too much of a punishment. What she had put up with already was enough to compensate for her crimes.

"Maybe," Usako finally replied. Her mind was full of maybes. "I know Mama isn't intentionally trying to hurt anyone, but her desire to make everything perfect may be too much to ask. Some people see things about the way we live that need to be improved--no matter how much we try to make things perfect. To ask those people to keep to themselves, to hold back the desire to create change...that's wrong. Please...don't expose Seisui. Even if she tries to kill me...even if she tried to kill my mother...she taught me so much. Even though Seisui hated me and tried to kill me, she taught me to love myself, because she made me realize my mother was not perfect. That that meant didn't have to be perfect."

The Sailor Quartet looked skeptically at each other.

"Seisui is a huge danger to you," Haruko told her. "And you're always running off to talk to her alone. If you want us to even consider keeping your secret, you had better stick to us more often from now on."

"But if you're there, Seisui won't--"

"We can hide in the shadows. Besides, shouldn't you be keeping Diana with you? Whatever happened to her?"

"I didn't want her to get involved...Diana is so innocent and trusting. I was afraid she would tell her mother, and end up exposing Seisui..."

"Well, if you kept her with you, it would be a lot easier to keep an eye on you," Natsuko complained.

"Usako needs some space, you know," Hiroshi snappishly interjected. "She doesn't always want someone to keep an eye on her."

"We understand that," Haruko responded. "But in this case, it just isn't practical. Even her mother didn't defeat Queen Beryl alone."

"Seisui isn't Queen Beryl..." Usako murmured, looking at the floor.

The Amazons looked at each other hesitantly; there was probably nothing they could say to console her.

"Just tell us the next time you're involved with Seisui," Natsuko told her. "Let us do our jobs, at least. If you don't, we'll have to tell the Queen--for your own safety."

"Yes..." Usako dolefully replied. "I understand."

"Tokimo! Seisui!" Yamiko shouted, running after them as they walked toward Goban high school. Tokimo was assuming her usual, plucky walk, while Seisui walked along with an unassuming gait. They both turned around as she called them; Tokimo put her hands on her hips and waited expectantly for her to catch up.

"Wake up a little late today?" Tokimo said accusingly as Yamiko struggled to catch her breath.

"I was sick yesterday," Yamiko snapped. "Aren't I entitled to a little extra sleep?"

"No! Today is important. We don't have time to worry about your health."

"Why? Is something going on?"

"We're going to kill the Queen today," Seisui calmly replied. "The three of us."

"What?" Yamiko shouted, looking at Tokimo in disbelief. "How are we going to manage that?"

"We're going to attack in the middle of the night. We'll meet at the front of the palace. Me and you will distract the planetary Senshi while Seisui does the deed. Then, while the castle is in turmoil after her death, we can get Usako, too! It's perfect."

"We're going to be distracting the Planetary Senshi...?" said Yamiko skeptically, remembering her dangerous brush with Sailor Saturn. "We can't even take on one Planetary Senshi, let alone nine..."

"We don't have to stick around." Tokimo replied, "We can just hit and run. They'll be chasing us long enough to give Seisui a chance."

"Did you run this by Kouken?"

"Kouken is at my house," Seisui explained. "He won't get involved."

"What will happen if we get caught, though?"

"I can teleport!" Tokimo assured her. "I did it once before, so I can do it again. We'll zap outta there if we get in trouble."

Yamiko looked toward the ground. She should have trusted her better instincts and stayed out of this.

_"Everyone is equally wonderful."_

No...after that, even Yamiko couldn't keep quiet. "You're sure?" she asked. Despite her determination, fear saturated her heart.

Tokimo nodded confidently. "I'm sure! Everything will be fine."

Yamiko look reluctantly toward Seisui. Seisui's face was sullen and ashen; her eyes seemed a little glazed. She walked beside Tokimo as if in a dream, trying to remember where she was going. How many times had Yamiko walked down an endless pavement with the same vacancy in her eyes?

"You know...Seisui..."

"Yes?" she responded, staring down at the pavement.

"I'm sorry I fought against you all those times. If I had known about your father, things would have been different."

"There wasn't any way for you to know what had happened to my father. There wasn't any way for anyone to know, except for me."

"I wish you had told me," Yamiko replied. "I lost family members too. I would have understood."

"Under the circumstances, it was unsafe to tell anyone who I was, and you had already left before we had a chance to come to trust each other. Besides, I don't know if you would have believed me. You had no reason to believe that the Queen could have done anything wrong."

Yamiko looked away. She probably wouldn't have taken Seisui's word for it; but then, if she had seen her father sooner, she would have understood.

"Well, it doesn't matter now, anyway," Tokimo reminded them. "All that's left is to end this. And when we do, we can all go out and get ice cream and snacks, and we can buy everyone a stuffed animal--each one can be the same color as their fuku! And we can have a sleepover! No boys! Kouken won't be invited, either."

Yamiko sighed. An end was what she needed; what she dreamed of. A end to the ceaseless pain--the pain, at least, of being a Moon Senshi.

* * *

"Midnight, in front of the palace, huh?" Fubuki said, amused. They were whispering in front of her, oblivious to her presence behind them. It was just as well that she was hearing this, and not someone else; these girls, evidently, had no knack for secrecy.

"Shit, you're really going through with this?" Jirou asked in annoyance, shoving his hands roughly in his pockets.

"Of course. Once I've decided something, I never change my mind. If I kill the Queen, I can do all sorts of things. I'll destroy that fucking church permanently. I'll let everyone know what a whore all the lamers in the world adore. I'll piss off my mom. Hell, I might even end up pushing through a welfare program."

"It's not likely."

"More than before. Anyway, I can't lose anything."

"Except for your life," Jirou caustically reminded her.

"My life?" Fubuki mused. "Who cares? If I ended my life, I'd never have to listen to her again."

_EPISODE SEVEN: FIN_

* * *

Softly mumbling, "Don't cry," to myself,  
I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I'm not at fault, right? It's everyone else's fault, right?  
If you think so too, if you'll believe in me,  
I'll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny

Lulululu...

Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite  
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne  
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba  
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara

Lulululu...

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Usako:** Now aware of the true path, I must convince my mother before it's too late. But will she listen when the voices of judgement ring in her ears?

**Seisui: **Now is the time for my moment of glory. Blood will spill through the halls, and freedom will ring in my ears. The black guardian will come forth, and victory will be mine.

**Yamiko:** Facing the inevitable becomes the most difficult part of the journey. I cannot be resigned to the possible repercussions of my own decisions. But without making those decisions, what remains of the life I have saved?

**Tokimo:** I am Seisui's only friend. I will never, ever leave her behind! But it's too late, now...

**Hotaru: **Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"Apocalypse"_

**Seisui:** Evil returns to those who create it.

* * *


	8. Episode Eight: Apocalypse

"Usako..." Hiroshi said, knocking lightly on her door. "Usako, I want to talk to you about something. Are you awake?"

Usako ran to the door. It was unusually early for him to want to talk; school wouldn't begin for another three hours. Usually, if Hiroshi wanted to talk to her before school, he waited at least until breakfast or the walk to campus.

"Did something go wrong?" Usako asked, opening the door and motioning him in. "Something else, I mean..."

"No...I think you should tell your mother about Purification. If Serenity apologizes and makes amends, maybe Seisui will be less anxious to take vengeance."

"Of course..." Usako trailed off, looking into her mirror. "I was planning on telling her myself. I just haven't had a chance, between Seisui's...conflict with me, and the Asteroids, and Hotaru...and I was hoping for things to calm down a little bit. I'm not sure how welcome the news would be right now--especially with everyone so suspicious of Seisui. They might think she was using some kind of coercion, or feeding me lies...that was what the Asteroids seemed to think."

"If you were telling everyone, I would agree. But I think your mother will be more understanding. After all, she defended Hotaru, despite her history."

"Maybe, but...I still think she would tell the others. Mother never makes executive decisions without consulting everyone. And I can see why they would be skeptical of Seisui, too--but even if they decided to find out more about her and gave her a merciful punishment, they would become even more involved. I don't want them finding out anything else about her..."

"Well, maybe you could tell Hotaru. I'm sure she would be willing to give advice...or maybe she could work out some kind of deal with your mother. She could claim to have found out about Purification some other way. Seisui's father isn't the only person who's been purified. Hotaru could have met someone who was a victim of the Great Purification. Or maybe your mother could agree to have her investigate alone."

"Yeah...maybe."

* * *

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past   
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni  
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

* * *

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo 

Episode Eight:

"Apocalypse"

* * *

"Seisui Han'i," Erik said, walking toward her. The bell hadn't rung yet; Usako was sitting in her own corner, the Asteroids once again by her side. She cast a few pensive glances toward Seisui but didn't venture to talk to her; Tokimo and Yamiko sat anxiously next to their ally. Tokimo watched Erik with a suspicious eye.

"Yes?" Seisui half-whimpered. She had decided to come to school, despite all her problems, but she had been in better emotional shape.

"You're needed in the office," he explained. "I'll walk you there."

"Seisui can walk to the office herself!" Tokimo replied suspiciously, looking toward him. There had been something odd about Erik vonDarkmoor from the beginning. "Why should she need your help?"

"It was requested," he said. "I was asked to bring Seisui."

"Then I'm coming, too!" Tokimo demanded. "Me and Yamiko, both!"

Erik frowned reflectively. "No...I'm afraid that's not possible. I'm sure Seisui will be willing to tell you what went on when she returns."

"I wasn't giving you a choice." Tokimo stood up and looked at Erik threatening.

"It's okay, Tokimo," Seisui interjected. "I'm sure it's nothing important. They're probably just asking me about my absence or something."

"She's right, Tokimo," Yamiko agreed. "If something goes wrong, I'm sure she'll let us know. If you make a fuss, it'll probably make things worse for Seisui."

"Fine..." Tokimo sat down. They did have the communicators; if it weren't for that, she would have followed them.

"Let's go," Erik said to her, motioning for Seisui to follow.

* * *

Erik led Seisui down the hallway. He looked coldly back at her once or twice, but ventured no comment. They entered the office, its usual bustle strangely absent. Erik led her to the back door in the office. He opened the door; sitting at the desk was Hotaru, calmly staring at them both.

"I suspected as much," he said, looking warily toward Hotaru. Seisui stood slightly behind him; her heart skipped a beat as she saw the occupant of the room, and the desire to run away seized her immediately.

"Pardon me, Mr. vonDarkmoor, but it was Seisui that I asked for...I need to talk to her alone. Was there a reason why you escorted her?"

"There are a lot of people bullying Seisui, especially after the article that was printed in the paper just recently," he explained, "I thought it prudent to see to it that Seisui was not walking alone."

"You told me you were asked to come along," Seisui accused him. "What exactly are you--"

"I'll wait outside the door, Ma'am. My class can wait a few minutes...this won't take long, will it?"

Hotaru looked at him coldly; he probably suspected her of harassing Seisui, especially after the disagreement between her, Seisui and Usako that had occurred only the day before yesterday. Hotaru could also see how leading Seisui unwillingly away that day could have looked odd.

"I will try to make it as brief as possible. You may, however, wish to return on your own, and send someone else to look after Seisui; I cannot guarantee that this meeting will be brief."

Erik nodded; he peered coldly at Hotaru, but motioned Seisui inside. He stepped out and shut the door behind him.

Seisui looked nervously at the door; she slowly walked backwards toward it, her feet moving noiselessly on the green carpet.

"I'd like to talk to you, Seisui," Hotaru sincerely told her. "Please have a seat."

Seisui looked distrustfully down at Hotaru.

"I'm not going with you," Seisui said, her palms flat against the sliding door. "I won't let you purify me!"

"Calm down, Seisui. I'm not taking you anywhere, and we're not going to purify you. In fact, I'd like to prevent you from coming into any kind of conflict with the royal family."

"It's too late for that, even if you were telling the truth. And right now, I have no reason to believe that you would like to prevent my capture, or that you're not trying to find my 'true identity.'"

"I'm not interested in any of those things...I just want to know about Purification."

"What would I know about Purification that you don't already? After all, it's your queen who uses it. My father was only one of its lucky recipients." Her voice was filled with unrepentant sarcasm, her look spiteful.

"Where did you get your ideas about Purification?" Hotaru asked, looking urgently toward her. "I need to know. And I need to know why you're trying to kill Usako and the queen!"

"Tokimo was wrong, then, wasn't she?" Seisui looked downtrodden. "She did tell you..."

"Who told me what? You mean Tokimo?"

Seisui hastily shook her head. "Never mind. I'm not trying to kill Usako or the queen; you're looking for Sailor Titan, I'm afraid."

Hotaru sighed in exasperation. No matter how desperate the lie was, Seisui would stick to it. "At least tell me what you know about Purification. I need to know what happened to make you feel that way. Usako told me what happens when someone is purified. She told me that without hatred, people aren't motivated. Seisui, what did you tell Usako to make her believe that?"

"I don't even want to tell you. If you--you and the royals--haven't been able to figure it out, not after purifying an entire planet, not after ruining my father...I don't want you to know. You and your white-washing...you and your brain wiping! And then, too stupid to understand...too shallow to know...I don't even want to tell you!" Seisui tried to repress the waver in her voice, hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

"The fact of the matter is, Seisui, it's only so long before someone finds out that you're Sailor Titan. The royal family can't wait forever to find proof, not when the risk is so high. They sent me to try and find a way around the problem, but if you continue to be a threat, you can be sure they will capture you and interrogate you, even purify you. If you want to survive, you're going to need to cooperate with me, and with Usako."

"I'd rather be captured than cooperate with you. I feel dirty enough just talking to you. Besides, I'm not Sailor Titan, and there isn't any proof that I am. You can't do anything until you know."

"Seisui, it's only a matter of time before someone finds out. Eventually, they will, and then it will be too late."

"It isn't too late if I'm not Sailor Titan. Then there's nothing to find out."

"Seisui! I need to know what happened to your father. I need to know why you hate Purification!"

"Or else what? You're going to punish me? For the crimes I didn't commit?" she asked, looking defiantly toward her. Usako hadn't told Hotaru; and if she hadn't told Hotaru, who was known to be her very best friend among the Senshi, it was unlikely that anyone else knew either.

"For your own good, you must tell me! Saturn crystal power, make up!"

A blur of purple surrounded Hotaru as she transformed into Sailor Saturn. Before Seisui could even turn away, A glaive was poised at her throat.

"I hate to do this, Seisui," she told her. "But unless you tell me the truth, you will be punished unfairly. And then, not only will you be subject to your own detested punishment--but Usako, who cares for you, will forever resent the parents who love her."

* * *

"Saturn crystal power, make up!"

Erik clasped his mouth as his stomach reeled. He had heard Seisui and Hotaru shouting in the other room, but until now, he could make out nothing of their conversation.

"A transformation phrase? Then, that teacher is--"

His sentence was broken off as he groaned in pain and slid onto the floor, watching his surroundings become fuzzy. His eyes watered, and a dark, vague shape materialized before him. He wiped the tears out of his eyes, knowing well enough what it must be. It was the mask.

Erik repressed a shudder as cold iron wrapped around his face and his consciousness was wiped away into nothingness.

* * *

"So you want to know what Purification does, huh?" Seisui said coldly, her voice filled with sarcasm.

"That is correct--that, among other things," Sailor Saturn replied.

"Then I've already told you. It whitewashes, brain wipes. Purification destroys a person's ability to distinguish good and bad. When there are no longer any distinctions between 'bad' and 'good' all things become good. And then, all things are loved equally. My father loves me as much as he loves you. I am no longer anything of importance."

"But the fact that your father loves other things equally doesn't change the fact that he loves you."

"Yes it does!" Seisui hissed. "I don't want to be loved like other people. I want to be special! I want to be important to my father. I'm his daughter, not a stranger! Not just another human being! I want to be Sei..." She whimpered, repressing a sob. "I want to be Sei, not Seisui. Not Seisui Han'i. I want presents...I want to be told I'm special, to be hugged and read to...That bitch did something horrible--something beyond horrible--something cruel, something so awful--! I'll never, ever forgive her!" Seisui screamed.

The Crimson Eagle slid the door open. The girl, who was visibly upset, was undoubtedly Sailor Titan; he wasn't sure whether Sailor Saturn knew this, or was merely acting on a hypothesis.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking toward Saturn.

"Despite appearances, I am acting in her best interest. I need to know the truth in order to save her--perhaps, you as well. This was the only way."

"Just what is it that you needed to know that you had to threaten her to learn?"

"I needed to know about Purification," she explained, glancing at Seisui. "The subject seems--understandably--to be a rather personal grievance. There were other things I needed to know, as well, but those were not so urgent."

"Concerning what?"

"The Moon Senshi. I need to know more about their history, and their present motives."

"Then I don't see why you need her," the Crimson Eagle replied. "She may be able to inform you of Purification, but I doubt she knows anything about the Moon Senshi. Even if she did, it wouldn't be in her best interest to tell you."

"I am sure that Seisui is Sailor Titan," she replied. "And I need to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes. I have heard Queen Diana mentioned; been told that she ruled the kingdom before Queen Serenity. And the Moon Senshi, whether because of her tyranny or their own warlike tendencies, were destroyed. I don't know how this came about, or who was responsible, nor do I know anything about the time during which the Moon Senshi lived. It is strange to me that in the three-thousand year history of the Sailor Senshi, there are next to no records of the Moon Senshi, and yet, so many years later, they mysteriously appear."

"I can tell you about these things, and I can tell you far more objectively than either the Moon Senshi or your own comrades could. If you want to know, however, you must allow her to leave," he said, motioning toward Seisui.

Sailor Saturn turned toward Seisui, who was standing defiantly in front of her glaive.

"You have told me about Purification; your information, though given unwillingly, is a valuable asset. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Seisui mordantly replied. Sailor Saturn put down the glaive, and Seisui promptly made her way out. Sailor Saturn's concern did not assuage her bitterness.

"I don't know what to say to her," Sailor Saturn said somberly.

"Her anger is deep. She does not forgive," he replied. "No one could reach past her enmity."

"In any case, I need to know the truth about Queen Diana. Please tell me as much as you know about what happened in the past."

"The period of time which seems to be missing from your history is called the Rainbow Millennium. For hundreds of years, it was largely prosperous. The three powers of each planet kept order. There were the Moons, who ruled the heavens. The Planets, who ruled the land; and the Priests, who ruled the underworld. The Moon Senshi and Planetary Senshi each had crystals, much like Sailor Moon's and Tuxedo Mask's. The Priests, like Helios, had a holy land, one for each planet. If one of the three powers fell, the other two would soon go with it--each of the guardians' bodies slowly dying along with their planets."

"Then why do the Planetary Senshi still exist? Shouldn't we have fallen with the Moon Senshi and the other priests?"

"There's a sort of...I guess you could call it a loophole. If a surviving guardian finds someone who still possesses a crystal--in this case, Sailor Moon--they can continue to live by feeding on its power, preventing their inevitable death. Very few people knew about this process, however, and it was just as well; the co-dependency of the three powers prevented them from attacking each other, or even attacking other planets for fear of bringing their own destruction when the planet retaliated. However, an oracle named Neherenia discovered the loophole, perhaps by clairvoyance."

"Neherenia? The same Neherenia that lead the Black Moon Circus and cursed the Moon Kingdom to fall?"

"Cursed? Neherenia was hardly capable of cursing anyone; no mortal is. It is entirely possible, however, that she could have predicted its downfall at the hands of the Dark Kingdom."

"But if Neherenia was working for the queen of the Moon, then why was she banished from the Kingdom?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied. "I have no way of knowing what happened to Neherenia after my death. But it seems likely that the Neherenia who served Diana and the Neherenia who ruled the Dead Moon were the same person, especially since Diana owed her success entirely to her prophecies. In both instances, Neherenia held the power to inspire terror or confidence in others because of her seemingly dead-certain knowledge of future events. You see, Neherenia foretold that Queen Diana would come to rule Sol.

"The word of an Oracle, in that time, was respected as law. Time and time again prophecies came true; so when news of her prediction spread, the other powers froze in fear. Diana began a campaign to take over Sol, and the Planets gathered with the Holy Lands and Moons to negotiate an immediate surrender.

"The Moons refused to negotiate. They knew that there was no way Diana could hope to conquer the entire solar system, and they made this fact very well known. The fear among the planets, however, prevailed. For a time, there was silence between them as the planets tried to find a solution which would not sacrifice their lives.

"Then, Diana informed the planets of how their lives could be spared. If the planetary Senshi surrendered to Diana, they could live off of the life-giving energy of her crystal. The planets quickly agreed. At that time, the Moons knew that their cause was lost."

"If they knew there was no chance of survival, why didn't they choose to join Diana along with the planets?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"Diana was infamous in her kingdom as an uncompromising and power-hungry tyrant--she would have had to have been, in order to act on Neherenia's prophecy. With the three powers separated, the crystals of the Moon Senshi were useless; they lost virtually all their power. The only set of three powers to remain intact, Diana and her trinity held the most power in the universe. Because of this, the majority of the Moon Senshi didn't even bother to try and fight. Most of them chose a noble death, rather than submitting; as far as I know, those Moon Senshi who tried to submit were turned away. After their defiance of the prophecy, Diana no longer trusted them. Moreover, not allying with the Moon Senshi ensured that no other set of three powers would remain intact. That meant there would be no other crystals whose power matched the Silver Crystal; and with no other crystals, Diana was free to control Sol as she saw fit. Even the Knights, who were sworn to protect all senshi, perished along with the Moon Senshi. Joining the planets meant destroying the Moon Senshi, and taking up the futile battle that the few Moon Senshi decided to wage meant opposing the planets. No honorable Knight would consent to the agenda of either side. It would mean breaking the code."

"Is this the code that Yamiko spoke of?"

"That is correct. Knights are bound to three rules. They must favor no Senshi. They must not call themselves by the name of their moon. They must not use their crystal."

"Who created this code, and why?"

"Sailor Senshi are the rightful heirs and users of a star's power. Knights must serve as shadows, who protect everyone from a distance and no one exclusively. I do not know who created it."

"Isn't it unfair to keep Knights in the shadows and expect them not to wear the name of their star?"

"That is the way things are done. It does not affect you; therefore, I see no reason for you to be concerned. Are you interested in knowing about the Rainbow Millennium, or are you interested in learning about Knights?"

Sailor Saturn shook her head. "Excuse me if I entered into affairs where I did not belong. Please continue."

"As I said, the Moon Senshi who took up the futile fight died in battle; the rest took their own lives, or they, along with the people who lived on the Moons, were slaughtered. Queen Diana wanted no remnant of their civilization, no record to tell the tale of the Moon Senshi--except for the way she wanted it to be heard. After Diana had finished, she swept the power of her crystal across Sol, a sort of purge that wiped out any trace of the civilization of the Moon Senshi. This was the beginning of the Silver Millennium, a time ruled by only one Moon."

"Then all records of the Senshi..."

"Destroyed--except, perhaps, those portraying them as bloodthirsty savages."

"And what about the Priests? Were they on the side of the Moon Senshi?"

"They disappeared shortly before the war. No one knows where they went...I searched for them, hoping to find answers, but couldn't find them."

"No wonder they're so angry...what a blood-stained history."

"Yes, well, now you know all about it. I would appreciate it if you ceased harassing her, and instead told your fellow kinsmen of your new knowledge. I advise you not to judge too harshly; though the Moon Senshi seek blood, they have lost their share of it. I will do what I can to protect you--however, should I find you discover your own, cruel means of retaliation, I will defend the Moon Senshi as well. I have, perhaps, acted unfairly already--though I do not think you would use this information to harm them, you may see any opponent of the Moon as villainous."

Sailor Saturn nodded. For all the Crimson Eagle's distant mystery, there was something about him that was undeniably akin to Erik vonDarkmoor. Besides their height, they both shared an aloof aura and a voice that was deeply tragic.

"I promise you, I will only use this information to try to understand this conflict--not to escalate it. Thank you for your help, Mr. vonDarkmoor," she replied, curious to see his reaction.

"I know not of whom you speak," he responded. "I am the Crimson Eagle, and go by no other name. Whoever you think I am, he does not exist to me."

With that, he turned around with a sweep of his cloak and left, slamming the door behind him.

"Interesting," Sailor Saturn mumbled, unsure of what his response meant.

* * *

Despite everything that had gone wrong, when lunch time came, Seisui breathed a sigh of relief. She was able to walk out with Yamiko and Tokimo; she was able to sit down and eat with Yamiko and Tokimo; she was able to ignore Usako completely.

"You can have some of my lunch, Seisui," Tokimo said, offering her half a sandwich. "My mommy made it."'

Yamiko opened her black lunch box and placed a candy bar in Seisui's lunch box.

"I really don't want any food..." Seisui bashfully replied.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not that hungry anyway," Tokimo patted Seisui on the back. Seeing the candy bar, she turned toward Yamiko's lunch box and noticed a lunch consisting primarily of rice balls and sizable chunk of cake. "but Yamiko, I'm surprised at how much of your lunch is dessert. I would have thought you'd eat sushi or something."

Yamiko wrinkled her nose. "I don't like sushi."

Tokimo looked up from Yamiko's lunch box and glanced around the school yard; she could see Usako nearby, glancing occasionally toward Seisui. She seemed to be having an intensive conversation with the Asteroids. Tokimo saw her get up and start walking toward Seisui, Hiroshi right behind her.

As she approached them, Tokimo got up and stood defensively in front of Seisui.

"Stay away from her," she threatened, looking menacingly toward Usako.

"Please...I want to talk to Seisui."

"No!" Tokimo replied. "You can't talk to her. Even if your opinions were valid, Seisui has enough things on her mind right now. The best thing you can do is just go away. Nothing you say is going to bring us to your side, so don't even bother trying!"

"But I just want to help you!"

"I'm sure that's what you want, but that's not what you'll do. So go away--before I make you go away! This is a problem for the Moon Senshi."

"Tokimo..." Yamiko warned, afraid that in her fervor she might give away some of their plans.

"But Seisui--" Usako stammered.

"Usako..." Hiroshi said softly, taking her hand. "Now is too soon. Part of this problem is ours, but we will deal with it in our way. Talking to Seisui won't do much at this point."

Usako stared at Seisui for a moment; was she even listening when she had said she agreed that Purification was wrong? Maybe Seisui hadn't heard. Or maybe, in her effort to find vengeance, she didn't want to listen.

"Okay," she agreed, walking back toward the Quartet, Hiroshi behind her.

* * *

"Sorry if I interrupted you," Usagi apologized, turning toward Hotaru. "I know it's still the middle of school, and the palace is kind of far away..."

"It's all right," Hotaru replied, sitting down on a upolstered chair next to Usagi's bed. "I should have reported to you myself. I would have done so sooner, but I had to gather quite a bit of information."

"Hotaru…did you find out anything about Seisui? About Chibi-Usa?"

"Yes. I also found out a great deal of information about the Moon Senshi and their history. Although I can't be sure, I feel the source is reliable."

"Well?"

"There appear to be two motivations influencing the Moon Senshi. The first is the battle from their history."

"From their history?"

Hotaru explained what the Crimson Eagle had told her: the prophecy of the oracle Neherenia, the threats of Queen Diana, and the untimely death of a whole legion of Sailor Senshi. Usagi looked on gravely during the tale, disturbed by a story that illustrated her own grandmother was tyrannical.

"Who did you hear this from?"

"From the Crimson Eagle. I tried to ask Seisui, but he interrupted me before I had the chance. It may be just as well that I heard the story from him; he wishes to bring the two sides together, rather than seeing one side victorious over the other, and may have given a more accurate account than Sailor Titan or some of our own ancient texts could have. Naturally, Queen Diana would be personified as heroic in our own history; those that would have said otherwise were destroyed."

"Then I guess there's no doubt that Seisui is Sailor Titan," Usagi sighed, her look becoming dejected. "I'm sorry, Chibi-Usa..."

Hotaru frowned. "To be sure, there is no solid evidence that Seisui is Sailor Titan."

"Really?"

"Yes. I just have other reasons for believing that this is true; Seisui's and Sailor Titan's motivations definitely seem to match. Some of them seem understandable, if not honorable," Hotaru told her, explaining the account Seisui had given her of purification. It, unlike the Crimson Eagle's story, could have been biased; but then, if Purification were not so bad, it was unlikely that Seisui would have been so angered by it.

Usagi's eyes widened. "That...it can't be true!" she denied, looking downwards. "There's no way that it could be true. If it were true, how could we have not noticed after the Great Purification? How we look blindly on as people's love for each other deteriorated?"

"It is because of the nature of purification that we never knew, Usagi--at least, if Seisui is telling the truth. We are not privy to the personal lives of our subjects; we were not there to witness the change in their love for one another."

"Then...what would have happened to the children of the parents who lived during the Great Purification?"

"Children are innocent, Usagi, but they are selfish creatures, and demand special attention--especially from their parents. If Seisui tells the truth, I do not care to think of it. I'm sure there would be many children who were raised to be content with liking everyone, but felt a void. Maybe they, too, would have been angry; but unlike Seisui, they had no one to tell them that what was going on was unusual. Seisui, I'm sure, was taught from a very young age to question authority, no matter how kind it seems; her father, after all, was a politician--and a surprisingly rebellious one, at that."

"Seisui must have told Chibi-Usa all about it..."

"I'm sure she has. Perhaps Usako has even met Seisui's father. Now, that is really the key point. If Usako has met Seisui's father, then Seisui is probably right. If not, then she could be lying or exaggerating; her father's demotion did condemn her to poverty, and even if it didn't mean the loss of a loving parent, that alone could make her bitter."

"We need to ask Chibi-Usa right away!" Usagi half demanded. "How could I not know about something this important? If Seisui is telling the truth, then...then..." Usagi sat down on her bed and covered her face with her hands. She contemplated the Great Purification; a generation of kinder, happier people, her subjects had called it. And maybe, in theory, it was; at that time, everyone did love one another. But how could she accept a world in which her love for Mamoru--even, her love for her daughter, her friends--could have meant nothing? "If Seisui is telling the truth, then Sailor Titan was right."

_I have come to end your life, which has profaned and erased so many others._

"Sailor Titan was right...I have profaned...I have erased..." Tears started pooling in her eyes, and her chest ached with guilt.

Hotaru's brow creased in pity. "Usagi..." she said with a sigh, looking down at her abject grief. "There was no way for any of us to know this. If subjects are happy, it is not a cause for alarm, and for all appearances, the time of the Great Purification was prosperous. We had no way of knowing what we were doing."

Usagi walked over to her commode and pulled a tissue out of a silver lined box. The mirror had only recently been replaced; Mamoru, concerned about the pain the sight of the broken mirror could cause, had wasted no time in replacing it. Usagi milled over the items on her dresser, perhaps hoping to find some comfort in their familiarity. Her brush, her make-up, her hair bands...

Her hand reached toward a vacant space on the dresser, pausing there for a moment. Her music box was missing. Her frown deepened as its absence woke her up to the guilt of her crimes; her flushed face was soon streaked with more tears, and she reached for another tissue.

"Even if what you say is true," Usagi muttered, wiping away another tear, "I still feel responsible. Seisui's problems are all because of me..."

"Your Highness, even if we had known about Purification, what Seisui's father did went beyond forgiveness. He had been warned about his crimes in the past, and no amount of hatred he could have borne for you justified your murder."

"Still...by punishing him in that way, I am responsible for Seisui's crimes. She wouldn't have borne such hatred for me if I hadn't purified her father."

"You can't assume that," Hotaru replied. "Councilor Han'i, I'm sure, would have raised her to hate you just as much, if not more, if he were unpurified to do so. And the fact that Seisui is almost certainly Sailor Titan would only add to her biases. Usagi--Your Majesty--you cannot let your pity blind your judgment. I care for Seisui as well, and I worry about her well being. But she is dangerous, and if we do not watch her and lead her down the right path, she will fall farther. Even worse, if Chaos were to find her somehow, then the consequences could be devastating. You were able to help many whose anger overwhelmed them through your kindness. Chibi-Usa and I both owe our lives to you, and the other Senshi respect you as their most treasured friend. You were able to help us because you were strong and believed that we could see the good side of things."

"But what if I'm not so good after all?" Usagi snapped, turning away from her mirror and toward Hotaru.

"Don't let a mistake blind you, Usagi," Hotaru murmured. "I believe that you have the power to save Seisui." Hotaru bowed her head; there was little else she could say to comfort her. Usagi, she was sure, would find strength on her own; she knew she could get past her mistakes and believe in herself, if only to help another.

* * *

"So you're really going through with this, huh?" Jirou asked Fubuki. The bus had left them almost directly in front of the palace; at midnight, almost all of its gleaming lights had faded, leaving only a few stray fireflies of light in the cold, glassy structure.

"I've made up my mind," she told him, holding her cool, metal brooch in her palm.

"Fuck," he said with a sigh. "Don't get yourself killed, you moron."

"I won't. Not that you'd miss me," she said, a sardonic smirk on her face.

Fubuki's smile faded; for a moment, the only sounds were the occasional passing of a truck. Fubuki put her arm around Jirou, and he returned the hug.

"Mother Serenity," he said with a smile, "You're getting all fuckin' sentimental on me."

Fubuki shoved him briskly away, sending his butt unceremoniously onto the pavement.

"Get the hell out of here, you dickhead," She said, a grin on her face.

"What the fuck was that for?" he spat.

"So you won't miss me," she replied, spitting on his shoe.

"The hell," he mumbled, standing up and scraping some of the spit off with the bottom of his other shoe. Fubuki's smile faded as he walked off in irritation; not far beyond him, Tokimo, Seisui and another girl were approaching. Tokimo, of course, was in the lead; the ferret, as far as she could see, wasn't with them.

Tokimo looked her over skeptically as she approached. "What are you doing here?" she asked her in an accusatory tone. "Picking a fight once wasn't enough?"

"I wasn't picking a fight," Fubuki snapped. "I'm not interested in fighting you right now. If you want to do that, we can worry about it later."

"So what do you want, then? Huh?" Tokimo held her fists up defensively.

"I heard you yesterday, when you were talking about the Queen."

"If you get in our way, I'll--"

"Don't shit in your pants yet, Tokimo. I want to help you. After all, you need all the manpower you can get to help take out the Queen, right? I can help you distract the Senshi while Seisui goes for the Queen."

"We don't need your--"

"Hold on, Tokimo," Seisui interrupted, stepping forward. "If Fubuki wants to help us, let her help. She's right...we could use it. There are few enough of us as it is."

"But she tried to hurt you, Seisui!" Tokimo retorted. "And anyway, how do we know she wants to help us? What if she tries to give us away?"

"There isn't much she could do now," Seisui replied. "If she runs in with us, the most she could do is switch sides and start attacking us--and that seems unlikely, given Fubuki's personality and the fact that in all likelihood, they wouldn't trust her more than any of the rest of us."

"She could follow you up to the bedchamber!"

"You'd notice she had left right away," Seisui reassured her.

"Then she could have told them ahead of time. Like she said, she heard us yesterday!"

"It seems unlikely, again, given Fubuki's personality. Besides, why would she need to meet us here to do that? Putting herself alone with us would only leave her vulnerable if we found out."

"Seisui has a point," Yamiko added. "Besides, after vandalizing a statue of Serenity--which could have no way of benefiting her--it seems unlikely that she would have enough love for Serenity to help save her life."

"How the hell did you know about that?" Fubuki shouted, turning toward Yamiko. "You weren't even there!"

Yamiko looked uneasy. "Well, actually...I'm Sailor Phoebe. The one that attacked you..."

"What the fuck? You're worried about my being a traitor? This one put me in the hospital after I smashed up the fuckin' Serenity statue!"

"Yamiko changed her mind," Seisui said.

"Well then, you sure as hell can't deny me the chance to beat the shit outta someone," Fubuki said indignantly.

"We aren't denying you the chance," Seisui told her, "You're welcome to come along."

Tokimo looked at Seisui pleadingly; although even she could see the practicality of Fubuki's accompanying them, her desire not to cooperate was overwhelming.

"Just think, Tokimo," Seisui said cheerfully, "We're going to beat down the Queen. And for the first time in my life, I've found other people who know the truth--I've found people who were willing to listen to the truth."

Tokimo smiled and gave Seisui a hug. Yamiko frowned, feeling a little out of place; she hadn't exactly been willing to listen to Seisui. Of course, then, she hadn't had many chances, either.

"Right!" Tokimo replied, pulling out her brooch. "There's no time for us to fight each other! Now we've gotta kick some ass! Charon prism power, make up!" Tokimo's body appeared blurred and distorted as her purple and back uniform became visible.

"Titan prism power, make up!" The writhing, twisted form of black water enveloped Seisui as her red and blue uniform appeared.

"Phoebe prism power, make up!" Darkness fell over Yamiko as her silver and black uniform materialized.

"Miranda prism power, make up!" A blinding snowstorm gathered around Fubuki as her green and black outfit formed.

"You three go through the front door," Sailor Titan told them. "I'll run to the window and wait for the alarm to sound. Okay?"

Tokimo nodded vigorously. "Let's go, everyone!"

Tokimo and the other two ran off; as they ran, the magnificent, towering doors of Crystal Tokyo appeared all too eagerly before them. Sailor Titan watched the doors swing open as they entered the palace. She paused briefly before she headed toward the castle's right flank.

"Please, everyone," Sailor Titan murmured as she ran toward a glimmering window on the wall of the palace, "Please, succeed."

* * *

Sailor Phoebe couldn't help raising her eyebrows a little as the opulent staircase and grand hallways came into view. She had seen pictures of the interior of the Crystal Palace; but seeing the real thing gave her true appreciation for just how grand the castle was--and just how much money had probably been spent on it. Especially since, at one time, both Yamiko and Asteria had hardly lived in shabby houses themselves...

"We shouldn't attack here if we want to distract them," Sailor Miranda told them. "If Sailor Titan has to go up the stairs, then we'd best try and keep them away from this area."

"And from the right," Sailor Phoebe added. "That's where Sailor Titan is entering."

"Left it is, then!" Sailor Charon said enthusiastically as she walked past the center hallway and went to the left. "But how are we going to bring out the Sailor Senshi?"

"There's probably some maids around," Sailor Miranda shrugged. "We can get one of them screaming."

Sailor Phoebe shivered slightly at Miranda's nonchalant manner. The hallway walls, smooth marble and opaque crystal, seemed uninviting and cold. At night, things always seemed a dull, lifeless gray anyway; the palace was no exception. Compared to that soulless gray, black would have been a welcome change. They continued walking until two towering doors appeared above them; the only doors that even compared to its size were those of the entryway.

Sailor Charon raised her eyebrows, impressed. "These doors looks important."

"Do you think it's the throne room?" Phoebe suggested. "From the look of the doors..."

"There's no way in hell they would put the most important room in the building off to the left like that," Miranda told her. "The throne room would be down the center of the hall. This is probably the dining room, or the library."

"How do you know?" Sailor Phoebe asked in annoyance, looking toward Miranda. "You don't live in a castle, do you?"

Miranda smirked sardonically. "No...but I live with a tyrant."

Sailor Phoebe raised her eyebrow, intrigued by the answer but doubting whether she actually wanted to know what it meant. Probably some family quarrel.

"In any case, if we trashed up a big room like this, they would probably hear the clatter and come downstairs."

"Don't you think they'd suspect something if we were just coming in here to vandalize?" Phoebe suggested. "I mean, this is the castle, not a church."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Your suggestion?"

"We could pretend we were coming in to kill the queen."

"Then why are we here?"

Phoebe shrugged. "We don't know where the Queen's bedroom is. And the doors are big enough that we could be looking for stairs."

"We'll still need to trash it. Otherwise, no one will know we're here."

"Okay, fine. It sounds like something you might do anyway."

Miranda raised an annoyed eyebrow. Charon, however, was too excited to notice.

"Sounds like a plan!" she enthusiastically replied. She put her hands on the huge handles and pulled outward; the door didn't budge.

"Try pushing it," Sailor Phoebe suggested it.

Charon did so; the door didn't move.

"It's locked, morons," Miranda snapped.

"Too bad Titan's not here," Phoebe said with a sigh. "Her father used to work in the palace. She'd probably at least have a guess as to what it was."

"I see churches are not enough for you."

Sailor Miranda turned around; the other two soon followed her, entirely unsurprised to see the towering figure of the Crimson Eagle.

"Oh look," Miranda retorted, "It's dickhead, here to do the right thing, toe the line, and spread apathy throughout the land."

"If you would like to call it apathy, I suppose you may," he replied, looking toward her. "Though perhaps apathy is the preferred alternative to what will inevitably become a bloody war."

"Is not!" Charon protested. "At least change can come out of war. Nothing comes out of sitting around and doing nothing!"

"Why are you even bothering to talk to him?" Sailor Phoebe asked. "He won't listen; he's bent on his self-righteous plan. And anyway, it's not like he can do anything to us. He can't hurt a Sailor Senshi. It's against his code."

"That didn't stop him last time," Miranda mumbled in annoyance.

"There's three of us against him this time, and The Crimson Eagle doesn't even have a Senshi attack. I wouldn't worry," Phoebe said.

Charon looked uneasily toward Phoebe and Miranda; seeing a look of confidence on Phoebe's face, she shrugged. "No reason to stick around, then. Let's bust through the door and make some noise!"

Miranda shrugged. "Arctic blades!" Two buzz saws ran down the floor and into the door, cutting out a square hole in the needlessly large doorway. "No alarm yet...Too bad. We'll have to find another way to sound it."

"I'm not sure who--or what--you're looking for here, but your aim is to destroy. I cannot allow you to pass!" the Crimson Eagle shouted, running through the three girls with his katana in hand. He stood in front of the small, open entryway; his iron mask faded into the deep darkness of the room behind him.

"What kinda shit is this?" Miranda sighed. "I don't have any fuckin' time for this. Let's just get rid of him."

Charon nodded enthusiastically. "Space time blast!" she shouted, a globe expanding around the Crimson Eagle. He knelt down and clutched his stomach, holding a hand over his mouth. The katana dropped underneath him, its form vague in the distorted space of the sphere.

"Shadow dragon!"

"Arctic blades!"

A gust of icy wind surrounded Phoebe's dragon, forming into saw-like crests on its long, shadowy back. The Crimson Eagle hit the floor, hoping to duck under their combined attack, but the lower crests of the dragon swept across his back. A long, bloody gash formed as the Crimson Eagle writhed in pain.

"You've become...demons..." the Crimson Eagle managed to mumble as he lay on the ground. He began to lift his torso up; the rest of his body soon followed. He limply picked up his katana and replaced it in its sheath.

"Who gives a fuck?" Miranda asked, shoving him aside and walking through the door. They other two soon followed her, ignoring him as he limped painfully away from them.

After Miranda walked inside, she swiftly hit the lights. The room, it turned out, was neither a throne room, a library, or a dining hall; the huge, sprawling screen told her that much. This room, she suspected, was several times more important than that, and therefore, much more fun to deface.

"What is it?" Charon asked, looking up at the screen. "A movie theater? How come there's no seats?"

"The room's way too small for a movie theater," Phoebe replied. "It's just the screen that's big."

"Whatever it is, it looks important," Miranda replied, smirking happily. "Which is all the better for us."

"It's probably a computer," Phoebe decided, looking at the control panel. "At least, I can't imagine what else it would be."

"Even better than a library. Why are we wasting our time?" Miranda asked.

"How should we vandalize it?" Sailor Phoebe asked. "Wouldn't it be bad to waste our powers before we even fight? And we have to make sure to either set off an alarm or make enough noise to rouse someone."

"Nah, we'll be fine!" Charon assured her. "It'll only take an attack or two to destroy everything. Besides, I can do a lot of it with my naginata! That won't take any energy at all! And I'm sure something will set the alarm off, if we destroy enough!"

"Dammit all, I should have brought a crowbar," Miranda said regretfully. "Fuck. Oh well."

"Wait a second," Sailor Phoebe interjected. She looked over the controls below the screen; sure enough, what appeared to be a large knob of quartz crystal was situated in the center. She pulled gently down on it, activating the screen. The computer screen flashed a message in bold red lettering: ENTER PASSWORD. "Charon, just rip up the console. If the computer has any kind of security device on it, it might sound an alarm when you tamper with it."

Charon grinned happily. "Right!" she shouted, turning toward the console, naginata in hand.

Sailor Charon swung her naginata around gracefully, changing it's position in her hands to something a little more akin to the way a sword was held. Smiling enthusiastically, she smacked the Naginata down into the control panel. A loud, satisfying "crunch" sounded as it impacted into the keyboard, smashing it in half. She made sure not to stop there, either; a look of carefree glee on her face, she continued to smash up the rest of the control panel, leaving smashed plastic, crystal and metal in her wake. When she had finished her work, the control panel was crumpled and deformed. Miranda smirked happily as the screen turned to static and an alarm began to sound. She couldn't help being impressed, either, at the naginata's seemingly amazing ability to smash easily through so much metal.

Sailor Phoebe backed nervously into the corner as Sailor Charon readied her Naginata for battle. Sailor Miranda turned toward Phoebe and frowned scornfully. "It's too fucking late to be scared now," she snapped, "so you might as well get ready instead of pissing your pants."

"If you had any kind of respect for the fact that we're about to get into a very, very outnumbered fight, you might be a little scared too." she retorted, edging nervously forward. From the back, she decided, she could still hit with her attack, and be pretty safe from harm. Better to leave it to Miranda and Charon to stay up front; they could actually fight close-range.

For a time, all that could be heard was the repetitive sounding of alarms. Their eyes were fixed on the broken door. It was meant to be grandiose; but in this light, Sailor Phoebe thought, it just looked ominous, the entranceway to the temple of a fallen empire.

The doors swung open. Shadow and light intermingled from the hall as the Senshi made their typical, dramatic entrance; shadowy figures against blinding light. The Moon Senshi, Phoebe mused, must have looked fittingly opposite; the single shining figures against the darkened control room.

* * *

If the Crystal Palace could be applauded for one thing in its design, it would be its exterior. Though disgustingly shiny and impressive, at least the walls had none of the excessive adornment of the interior; just endless crystal sides. As Titan walked around outside, she paused over each seamlessly smooth window; a single pane of glass in a facet of crystal, merely a clear, transparent square in the otherwise unbroken crystal. So far, she had passed outside several sitting rooms. She decided to wait until she was closer to the right side of the castle to break in so that she couldn't be seen from the vestibule.

She stopped halfway around the castle at a darkened window. Inside she could see a parlor, small and dusty. For a moment, she felt the wind blow against her face and listened to the sounds of cars driving past. A grove of blossoming fruit trees to her right seemed like a pathetic attempt to make the artificial world of the city seem somehow natural.

The alarm sounded. Sailor Titan jumped as it began; looking upward, she could see a few lights flood the top of the palace like those of a lighthouse. Lights down the center of the palace soon lighted as well, an electric current following the descent of some godly creature.

The lights reached the bottom of the palace. Better do it now, she thought, even if they're still getting there. Better to go while the alarms still sound. "Black stream death!" she said firmly. Without shouting, her attack barely mustered enough of her energy to fire at all. But she could not afford to be loud at this juncture. A few of the small voracious mouths came squirming out of her hands; their fierce jaws bit straight through the glass and made a large, square opening through the window. As her attack faded away, Seisui stepped through the hole in the window and into the castle.

She looked along the bottom crack of the doorway and into the hall; wherever the others were, they had chosen a good place. The lights weren't on in this hallway, which meant no one had even bothered looking this way. Sailor Titan quietly swung open the door and stepped out. Walking toward the entrance hall, she could see that the stairway was lit; she hoped that the three had not chosen to fight here, because it was the only way she knew of to get to the bedrooms. Finding a back way would take time, and the hope was to make the operation as quick as possible.

Sailor Titan cautiously looked into the hallway; thankfully, no one seemed to be there. They must have found the other three already. They wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.

Sailor Titan ran up the stairs giddily, pausing frequently to keep up her energy. She wasted no time stopping at the doors of the Senshi, but ran straight for the one door that was conspicuously inconspicuous.

She opened the small, unobstrusive door at the end of the hallway; maybe they had hoped to disguise it as a closet, but once entered, the short hallway and the glittering silver door made it clear enough what the room really was. As she stood in the entranceway, a sense of deja vu washed over her and she remembered the last time she had been here.

_"When I return, Seisui, I will be your father no longer. Remember me as I am... not as what I will become."_

_"Where's daddy? Where's daddy? Where's daddy!"_

Then, too, she had been thinking about her father.

"I didn't know what he meant at the time," she mumbled. "He was always poetic like that...I never understood it. I thought he was playing one of his thinking games again. I thought he would come back home the same as always..."

_"What is the Queen gonna do to Daddy? If she does something really mean, I'll never forgive her!"_

"I'll never forgive her," Sailor Titan murmured, turning the doorknob. "I'll never, ever forgive her!"

Sailor Titan swore. It was locked; of course, it only made sense. They had probably told her to lock the door when the alarm started firing. Titan only hoped that no one had decided to stay behind and protect the queen. Oh well, the door was crystal. The problem was easy enough to remedy.

"Black stream death!" she cried as black water twisted and writhed toward the door, pummeling its way through the crystal. This time, there was no sneaking up behind her, but the circumstances were good enough. Serenity stood there looking at her. She held the sacred sword in one hand, but the blade rested on the floor. She looked like she had no intention of using it, as if she were only holding it so Sailor Titan couldn't steal it again.

"Hello," she said, looking calmly toward her. Her face was sad. "I heard about what happened to your father. I'm sorry. I'll tell the others about purification, and I'll pardon you. Even if what your father did wasn't right, I can see why you felt the way you did. All that I ask is that you and the other Moon Senshi try to forgive what's happened in the past, because of my grandmother..." she closed her eyes, pausing. "Let's bring an end to this violence. I don't want to see anyone else hurt. As for Diana's reincarnation, I'm sure we can--"

"Shut up," Sailor Titan hissed, looking downward. "Do you think your usual whiny, apologetic tactics will make me see the 'good side?' I don't know whether you've really seen purification for what it is or not, but you're past forgiveness. It's all past wanting to make amends and putting things behind us. My past is all I have. My hatred of you is all that makes me breathe. If I put that behind me, I am nothing."

"There is always a future, Seisui. You can make a new life--everyone can. I'll try, somehow, to make up for what I've done..." her voice, formerly gentle, became weak, and tears began to form in her eyes. "...I'm sure Usako understands. I'm sure she can teach us how you--"

"Black stream death!" Sailor Titan cried. Black Water streamed around her hands and wrapped itself around the queen. It wrapped itself around Serenity's legs and formed a band around her neck. The sacred sword, sadly, dispelled it from her hands, though the sword still hung unthreateningly in her grasp. Sailor Titan would have to hope she did not use it.

"Once I wondered...is purification anything like dying?" Sailor Titan said. "After all, I'm sure once that whiteness wraps around you, your mind fades away into nothingness. I wonder if the same thing happens when you die..."

Serenity looked pleadingly toward Sailor Titan as her face turned red and only short, desperate breaths escaped from her lungs. One of Serenity's hands clasped the stream of darkness around her neck and tried to pull the the black ribbon away, but it clung on stubbornly, merely imprisoning one hand against her neck.

"Please...for Chibi-Usa's..."

There was no point, Sailor Titan decided, in prolonging her death. She focused her energy on the black water twisting around Serenity's neck, and watched Serenity desperately gasp as it tightened its grasp.

"Seisui!" Sailor Pinkmoon shouted, running through the door. Helios followed behind her; her faithful servant, as always. He knelt on the floor, his arms clasped in prayer. 

"﻿Calling forth the ancient contract, I summon the power of Elysion. Land of light, hope, and peace, heed my call..."

"Shit," She hissed, turning back toward Serenity. Strangling would take too long...

"Black str--"

Sailor Titan was cut off abruptly as crystals shot upwards from the ground and encased her body. Her arms were stuck. She could see through the crystal as the black water twirled into nothingness; her mind was numbed by her inevitable failure, and the fact that it was at the hands of the weakest of all the royal family...

"Thank you, Helios," Sailor Pinkmoon said gratefully. "You didn't hurt her, did you?"

"She's fine. Just trapped," he assured her.

It was all over...

"Seisui..." she murmured, looking at her through the crystal. Like prison bars...trapped behind the crystal like a criminal, to be pitied... "Seisui, why? We could have worked something out...I was going to tell my mother..."

Serenity shook her head.

"Hotaru told me about purification and Seisui. I want to save her...but...what can I do? Seisui...her anger is so deep...Maybe she is possessed by Chaos...then if we purified her, she wouldn't lose her personality...just the darkness of Chaos...maybe, we can...or even...maybe she's lying...if only somehow, it isn't true...if purification isn't what it seems...it would be so easy to save her..." Serenity shook her head. Somehow, it would be too much to hope for...  
_  
"They will forgive you...all people live in the Queen's grace, and will learn to accept her wish for peace."_

"Father..." Sailor Titan whimpered. "I'll become like you...I'll vanish like you..."

"No! Seisui isn't possessed. I know it. I've known her too long. I know what she says is the truth..."

"I understand what you're saying...you're probably right. But...everyone needs to confer on this, right? Everyone together, and we'll make a fair decision, I'm sure..."

"I would have thought you'd understand, Mama...after hearing about purification..."

"I realize what I've done is awful, Chibi-Usa, and I think agree with you...Purification probably is wrong. And I don't want to punish Seisui, either...but she is a danger, I'm afraid...I wanted to talk to her, but..." Tears poured from her eyes. "But how do I reach past that anger? That horrible, terrible anger...and it's all my fault...I won't purify her, I promise--not unless I'm sure she's been possessed. Then, nothing bad will happen to her, right? She'll just go back to normal..."

"Please don't tell the others, Mama! They won't understand...not after what happened..."

"Chibi-Usa, I'm sure if you and I tell them, we'll come up with a merciful solution. Seisui's circumstances are cruel."

"They didn't understand before!"

"I will make them understand," Serenity told her, "I promise..." She waved her hand in front of the now repaired mirror. Sailor Titan couldn't see what was going on, but whatever was in the mirror, it definitely was not her reflection. "Everyone, please come to my room as soon as possible. Sailor Titan has been captured."

Sailor Pinkmoon looked pleadingly toward Helios; he had made the barrier, and he could release it and let Seisui go. Normally, she knew Sailor Titan would attack her; but surely, under these circumstances, she would know enough to flee.

Helios shook his head. Pinkmoon's eyes widened in surprise as tears dropped down her cheeks.

"I thought we agreed..." she whimpered.

"We do," He assured her, "And I promise I will protect Seisui. But for your safety, we must end this."

* * *

"Why are you so intent on hurting Usagi?" Sailor Jupiter's voice called in fury. "She would never try to hurt you. She'd want us to find peace! And still..."

"We don't give a fuck about making peace," Sailor Miranda replied. "I'd rather see her go to hell."

"And what if you do kill her? What then? Are you going to replace her?" Sailor Mars retorted.

"Of course!" Sailor Charon immediately replied. "Sailor Titan will replace her. No one would make a better queen!" Even though they had never technically decided that, Charon knew that it was the only logical answer. She didn't even know anyone smarter than Seisui.

"With just the four of you, there's no way you can win against all of us. If you surrender, I can guarantee a merciful punishment," Sailor Neptune assured them.

"You mean purification?" Sailor Charon shouted, brandishing her naginata. "If that's your idea of merciful, I'd rather die."

"Not necessarily," Sailor Saturn interjected, stepping forth and looking earnestly toward Sailor Charon. "That is, if your beliefs are correct."

"What are you saying, Saturn?" Sailor Venus asked, looking toward her worriedly. "Is there something wrong with purification? Why, of all things, would the Moon Senshi be against that?"

"It turns your brains to cottage cheese," Sailor Charon explained deprecatingly. "So if you kill me or not, it doesn't really matter, huh?"

"This is just their lies. They're just trying to make us hesitate. What reason do we have to believe that purification could be sinister?" Uranus asked incredulously.

"It is a complicated issue, and best discussed another time," Sailor Saturn told them. "Regardless, the offer remains. If you surrender, I promise that no harm will come to you; if possible, I will convince the queen, along with everyone else, to pardon your offenses--and together,we may be able to make amends for what was lost in the past."

"It's just like my comic books," Charon scoffed. "The villain always tries to make an offer that's too good to refuse, or too easy to resist. No way! I know we're in the right. There's no way I'll ever give up!"

Sailor Phoebe couldn't help feeling a little tempted to accept the offer. Charon may have been right in this case, but Sailor Saturn seemed to be giving them a sentence that was almost ridiculously merciful...

"Too bad. You've chosen your own end, I'm afraid--there's no helping it," Sailor Mars said with a sigh.

"It's been so long since we've fought an enemy." Sailor Neptune shook her head. "I was hoping we had shed blood for the last time."

"If possible, try not to kill them," Sailor Saturn told them. 

"Arctic blades!" Sailor Miranda wasted no time. The blades spun wildly toward the group of Senshi, flying to Uranus's feet and leaving two huge gashes in her legs.

"Shit!" Uranus spat, cringing and bending down to gently touch the gash in one leg.

"Uranus!" Neptune cried, running to her side. She looked away from the wounds in Uranus's legs to the face of her attacker; Miranda, who smirked unapologetically in the dim light of the control room. Sailor Neptune glared back and stood, her violin appearing in her hands.

"Submarine violon tide!"

A blast of water overwhelmed Miranda; she fell onto the floor, hacking and spewing.

"Mother fucking Serenity," she spat, "brought down by some piece of shit violin..."

She pulled herself up slowly and held out her hand once more. "Arctic blades!" she cried. The buzz saw did not touch Neptune or Uranus; instead, it neatly rent the elegant violin in two. "Piece of shit..." she mumbled, falling back to the floor.

Sailor Phoebe backed into a corner as Neptune frowned a bit regretfully at her violin. Uranus, of course, took precedence, and she gently took her love's arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry about helping us," Sailor Mercury assured them, "Please take care of Uranus until the fight is through."

Neptune nodded and began turning to leave the control room.

"You're not going anywhere!" Charon shouted after them. "Space time--"

"Don't bother..." Sailor Miranda said weakly. "They're out of the fight. They won't stop us now."

Charon looked a little skeptical but decided to trust Miranda. Instead, she held up her naginata.

"Space time blast!" she cried. The dome surrounded the remaining Senshi; Saturn, Jupiter and Mars shakily held their ground, but Mercury fell to the floor. Sailor Venus, she noticed happily, had begun to puke.

Sailor Saturn held up her glaive and lunged toward Charon. Charon smiled happily as their polearms clashed; this time, she was sure, she would win.

"Are you nuts?" Sailor Phoebe shouted, watching the weapons clang against one another. "There's no way you stand a chance against Sailor Saturn!"

Charon happily continued, heedless of Phoebe's words. Phoebe shook her head. "Shadow dragon!" she cried. The darkened beast flew toward Sailor Jupiter. Jupiter swiftly rolled to the side of the tremendous creature, but not before it hit one side of her body and managed to leave several scrapes along her left side.

"Damn you..." Jupiter mumbled. "And we outnumber them, too. How pathetic..."

"How can they even hope to fight against us?" Sailor Mars asked. "We've fought many more enemies and powered up so many times..."

"What they lack in experience," Sailor Saturn replied, "they make up for in zealotry and pride."

"Still..." Sailor Mars mumbled. "Sailor Mercury, if they can't see us--"

Sailor Mercury nodded and, with difficulty, stood on her feet. "Sabão spray!" she cried. A dense, light blue fog surrounded them.

Sailor Charon swore sharply as Saturn's glaive left a gash in her arm. There was no way she could continue the fight without seeing Saturn's glaive; she ran back to the far end of the room, hoping that the fog would obscure her as well as it had obscured Saturn.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Charon shouted, looking vainly through the fog to find Phoebe. "I can't see anything!"

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you went rushing into combat, huh?" Sailor Phoebe snapped, looking around her. "There's not much we can do now, is there?"

"Goddammit, at least try attacking," Miranda complained. "Don't just stand there and whine."

"I don't see you doing anything!" Phoebe retorted.

"Fuck! I've been barraged by a tidal wave."

"They're so busy fighting amongst themselves, it's a wonder they were able to get to the palace in one piece," Sailor Mars caustically remarked.

"Whatever..." Phoebe sighed. "Not that I can aim at anything...Shadow dragon!"

The sound of air whirring past Phoebe's attack was as good an indicator as any that nothing had happened.

"Shit. Charon, isn't there anything you can do?" Miranda asked.

"I already used Space-time blast; that's done as much as it's going to. And if I fight with my naginata, I'll just get run through by a glaive."

"What should we do?" Sailor Mercury asked, cringing and clutching her stomach. "Shouldn't we capture them?"

"No," Sailor Saturn replied. "Give them a chance to surrender. The fight's as good as over now, anyway; they've used up all their tactics, and if they surrender, we can look on them more mercifully."

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," Miranda said with a sigh. "I hate running away."

"We can't exactly run away," Sailor Phoebe informed her angrily. "The door is blocked, remember?"

"Well, fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck," Sailor Miranda replied.

Sailor Charon looked downwards. If what Sailor Phoebe said was true, the only thing left to do was try to teleport away. But what if Sailor Titan hadn't finished the job? She was sure that Titan would have joined them later, or at least said something on the communicator. She couldn't leave until she knew Sailor Titan was all right.

But if she stayed, _she_ wouldn't be all right--that much was certain.

Charon shook her head. Standing there would make her capture even more certain. In the end, she'd just have to try to kick ass. If she didn't, well, she could always use the last of her strength to teleport.

She ran toward where she thought Sailor Saturn had been standing and held out her naginata. If only by luck, she hoped, if only by luck, hit Saturn. If only by luck...

"What is she doing?" Sailor Saturn asked. Sailor Charon was holding her naginata outward, dashing straight for a wall. There hadn't even been anyone standing in her path. Was she somehow hoping to teleport through the wall? It seemed unlikely, especially since it would mean leaving her comrades behind. Unless she was trying to get help from Sailor Titan...

"Chaos..." Charon began, unsure of what she was talking about. "Compass!"

Sailor Saturn must have been right, because Charon did, in fact, disappear before hitting the wall.

"Sailor Saturn!" Jupiter screamed, looking toward in her in terror. "Behind--"

All she could feel was cold steel and warm blood. "How..." she murmured, falling to the floor. It was then that she heard Usagi's familiar voice speaking through her communicator.

"Everyone, please come to my room as soon as possible. Sailor Titan has been captured."

"Usagi!" Sailor Mercury shouted urgently into her communicator. The space vortex, thankfully, had disappeared; it had been too much for Sailor Charon to maintain both her vortex and that powerful attack. "Saturn has been..." she shuddered. "Bring--send Helios down right away. I only hope she doesn't have to be revived..."

"What happened to Hotaru?" Usagi asked urgently.

"She's been impaled," Sailor Jupiter interrupted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "One of the Moon Senshi ran a pole-arm right through her..."

"My God..." Tears formed in Usagi's eyes. "I'll send Helios down right away."

"Seisui..." Charon murmured as her naginata returned to her hand. "We've got to save Sailor Titan, everyone! We have to leave right now!" She turned toward Miranda.

"Think with your brain for a second, Charon! I can hardly walk, and the door is blocked!" Miranda snapped.

"I'll run through them!"

"You can forget about that!" Sailor Jupiter shouted as she stood in front of the door. Sailor Mars, Mercury and Venus soon stood in line beside her, forming a human barricade across the control room door. "After what you did to Saturn, letting you live is against my better judgment. I only will let you live for Hotaru, who asked us to spare you. Surrender now, or I really will kill you."

"I won't surrender! I'll fight until the end!"

"Charon!" Sailor Phoebe shouted. "Do you really think you can kill the others so easily? Even if you do have the energy to attack again, they'll be ready for it this time, and there's three of them to protect each other. You said you could teleport us away, right? So teleport! Get us out of here!"

"But I can't control where I teleport..." Sailor Charon protested, tears forming in her eyes. "And we still need to save Titan! If I teleport outside the castle, then they'll be watching for the next time I come in. And then how will I save her?!"

"Even if you do teleport right in Serenity's room to save Titan--what would you do? The Sailor Senshi would just follow and capture us, too--and then they'll have Pinkmoon and the Asteroids to overwhelm us! You have to get us out of here, or else--"

"No! I refuse! I won't leave until Sailor Titan is safe!"

"You're fuckin' crazy if you think you can save her now, Charon! If you want to save Titan, you're going to have to bide your time!" Sailor Miranda protested.

"But it'll be too late!" she sobbed. "They'll purify her, and...everything we worked for..."

"Venus...if you use your Love me chain attack, you can probably bind them together without hurting them," Sailor Mercury said.

"If Charon really can teleport, you had better do something before they convince her to exercise her power," Sailor Mars suggested.

Sailor Venus nodded.

"Venus--"

"Fuckin' Serenity! Now, Charon, _now_!"

"But--"

"Love me--"

"_Now_, charon!" Sailor Phoebe shouted.

Sailor Charon held her naginata above her head and prayed for something to happen. She could feel all of her energy rising into the blade; the space around her became distorted and dark. As she felt herself disappear, she only prayed that somehow, miraculously, Titan would come with her.

"_Chain_!"

Despite what Sailor Saturn had said, the Senshi couldn't help being surprised at Sailor Charon's power. The chains shot off into the room and disappeared; there was nothing for them to grab. The Moon Senshi had left nothing but the smashed control room and the pale, bloodstained body of Sailor Saturn.

* * *

Sailor Titan couldn't do anything. She heard arguing beyond the crystal; vaguely saw Helios leave the room as an urgent discussion went on through the mirror.

She almost wished that Sailor Charon would come and save her; but she knew that if she did, she'd get caught herself. She hoped that the other two had kept her from coming to save her, at least for now, for Charon's own sake.

Looking through the faceted crystal, she vaguely wished for an existence that had been free of purification, free of Diana, free of becoming a Moon Senshi. She briefly considered "seeing the light," accepting purification, giving up. She cried again, because she was pathetic.

_"It hurts to remember, Seisui, but it hurts even more to forget."_

The words of Black Water. She didn't know what they meant. But now, thinking of giving up, trying to convince herself that she had been wrong...a dull, steady pain, a feeling of failure, a hatred of herself. She knew she didn't believe it. And if she gave up, her mother, too, would lose hope.  
_  
"There is nothing wrong with the path you have chosen. Believe that what you've done is right."_

"Everyone is counting on me...if I give up now, I'll have disappointed them all." Sailor Titan could feel her forehead becoming warm; the clear crystal ignited with red light, blurring the figures of the Sailor Senshi as they entered the room.

"Black stream death!" She screamed.

A great shattering sound broke across the room; a few screams further fanned the chaos, and red light consumed everything. Sailor Titan could feel herself becoming faint as her guardian, Black Water, appeared.

* * *

Usagi covered her face as crystal scattered through her bedroom. Sailor Titan's eyes were half closed now, but a red circle shone on her forehead. The light spread throughout the room. Usagi was reminded of her own crescent moon--was the circle a sign of Sailor Titan's own star?

All around Sailor Titan spread the sinister ropes of black water. they coalesced in a point, bundling and deforming together, creating one great mass of dark, sickening liquid.

In that liquid appeared a man.

The black water spread around him like a cloak; from his head streamed black hair, formless and changing. In his hand he held a halberd, though the end of his hand and the beginning of his pole arm could not be discerned.

"Sailor Titan!" Sailor Pinkmoon shouted, looking toward her with worry.

"What is that?" Sailor Venus shouted.

Sailor Mercury clicked frantically away at her tiny computer, looking through her visor. "I'm not sure. It appears to be some form of highly complex organic matter."

"Can you pinpoint any weaknesses?" Sailor Mars asked, turning toward her.

"Sailor Titan is feeding the creature her power. If you attack her, it will disappear as well. But be careful...whatever it is, it's extremely powerful."

"Right." Sailor Jupiter began running to the side of the strange creature, struggling to find room in the small space. "Jupiter oak evolution!"

A flurry of leaves spiraled toward Sailor Titan. Before they had the chance to hit her, the man spread out, stretching his body like a shield and absorbing the leaves.

"Holy shit!" Jupiter cursed. "How the hell--"

"It's body is some kind of motile liquid," Sailor Mercury explained.

"Let me try," Sailor Venus said. "Venus love and beauty shock!"

This time, the black creature concentrated on a single point, swallowing the energy of the stream of hearts.

Sailor Pinkmoon smiled. Seisui's element was protecting her; if she could manage to wake up and run away, maybe it wouldn't be too late.

Black Water wasted no time. The door was blocked by Sailor Mercury, Mars, and Venus; Sailor Jupiter had already gone to his side. He formed his halberd once again and ran toward them.

"Watch out!" Neo Queen Serenity shouted, watching the blade hurtle toward them. Sailor Mercury and Mars moved aside without difficulty; Sailor Venus's arm was nicked by the blade. She cringed.

Black Water extended his arms into long ropes and wrapped them around Seisui's legs and shoulders. He pulled her toward his torso and made a bizarre sling from the substance, cradling Sailor Titan in his makeshift arms. She groaned slightly as the light from her forehead died to a faint glow. 

"Shit! They're going to escape!" Sailor Jupiter cursed. "Supreme thunder!"

A storm of lightning shot toward Black Water, but he dashed forward, flying through the door and turning the corner before the lightning could crash into him. Seisui groaned.

_"Sailor Saturn is coming," she told him, looking downward._

"_She may not. She may forget you, because you are young..."_

"I am a Moon Senshi. I fought in this war. They will not forget," she said, tears falling from her down turned face into the swirling mass below her. "Even if she did, the Silver Crystal will destroy everything on the surface of the planet. We have failed, my guardian..."

A lavender figure appeared before them on the long, carpet covered staircase. A cape fell gracefully behind him; his eyes were shrouded in a mask.

"You have gone far enough, Han'i."

_"Prodosia...do not make me do this..."_

"It is my wish to die this way. I...I will be crushed in the only arms that ever held me. If you do not...then I will drown."

"I can still save you. I can still catch you when you fall..."

"Then I will die another way."

A faint golden glow permeated the air around the man's staff. His crystal; it must have been.

_"Please..."_ _The face of the cliff loomed ominously beneath her; Prodosia had not been afraid of it since she was just a little girl. But now, as she looked at the Black Water's woeful swirling, she could barely move forward._

_She would not be slaughtered. She would end this on her own._

_Prodosia's feet stepped forward, off the sheer rock face, and she could feel herself falling. The dark warmth of Black Water surrounded her. A stomach churning crunch resounded through the garden; blood dripped into the screaming ocean._

The golden glow reached Black Water; he felt himself dissolving in the light. Sailor Titan's forehead stopped glowing; she fell backwards into the stairs. She almost felt as though she were falling through the stairs; everything dissolved. Her sailor uniform, her consciousness, her future.

Everything.

* * *

Softly mumbling, "Don't cry," to myself,  
I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I'm not at fault, right? It's everyone else's fault, right?   
If you think so too, if you'll believe in me,  
I'll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny

Lulululu...

Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite  
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne   
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba  
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara

Lulululu...

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Fubuki: **So this is how it ends.

**Hotaru: **The trial has been announced. The punishment is unforgiving. With no energy to stand on Seisui's behalf, Usako will stand in my place--but will her pleas for clemency be heard in the face of vengeance?

**Usako: **If I can save Seisui from the worst fate of all, I have accomplished something. But in the end, have I helped her at all?

**Tokimo: **Trapped in the darkness, Seisui is eons away from comfort. I failed; I didn't protect her. Now is my last chance to redeem myself--but she's so far away...

**Kouken: **Despite all appearances, there is evil in good. And despite all appearances, darkness may be the final source of refuge...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Black Chrysalis"_

**Seisui:** Evil returns to those who create it.

* * *


	9. Episode Nine: The Black Chrysalis

episode09.html

_"So you're sending us to sleep?" orange eyes said._

"THAT IS CORRECT."

"For how long, and why?" asked blue eyes.

"THEY WILL AWAKEN US."

"Why not begin now? There is much strife now. It is energy for the taking...now that everything must be rebuilt, everyone is uneasy," turquoise eyes questioned nervously.

"WHEN THEY RETURN, THE EARTH WILL CRY WITH THEIR STEPS. THE DARKNESS WILL MOAN WITH THEIR FURY. THE CRYSTAL WILL BURN WITH THEIR ENERGY."

"Hmph. I agree with Oceanus, however spineless he might be. I see no reason not to begin now. If we do, we'll only have more energy once the Moon Senshi awaken," blue eyes said, looking on skeptically.

"DO NOT QUESTION."

"It doesn't matter anyway, Coeus. As long as I can kill, I'm happy," smirked red eyes.

* * *

I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

* * *

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo

Episode Nine: 

"The Black Chrysalis"

* * *

"Rei..."

Her bedroom door creaked open. A sliver of hallway light shone through the open crack of the doorway; though it was dawn, the skies were still dim from the morning clouds. Five o'clock, her porcelain wall clock read; three hours before Usagi usually got up. Maybe she planned to see Usako off to school. Rei didn't think she'd make her go, though, and she didn't think Usako would want to.

Not after last night.

Seisui was still unconscious, unaware of the trial. Endymion had declared it just moments after Sailor Titan's uniform melted away and the small, limp form of Seisui appeared. At that moment, everyone passed their final judgment; some sympathized, some condemned. Rei had condemned. For Usagi's sake, however, she tried to be merciful. But after what Seisui had done...Hotaru would be all right, thank God. Helios had had to revive her. She wouldn't make the trial, but at least she would recover quickly. A week or two before she was completely all right, Helios had said. Until then, a little weak.

"Rei? Are you awake?"

Rei rolled over and clicked on her bedside light. She sat up, feeling the morning drowsiness send lead through her bones. "What's wrong, Usagi? Is this about Seisui?"

"Well..." Usagi entered, wearing a white cloak and a carrying a purse. She looked ready to go somewhere.

"Where can you be thinking of going at this hour, Usagi? Especially after what happened last night..."

"Seisui's house."

"Seisui's house? Don't worry, Usagi. We'll let her family know. And anyway, it'll be a short and merciful trial. After the trial, Seisui will be harmless. Mamoru is angry right now, but...he knows better than to do anything besides purify Seisui. He's just upset because he was so close to loosing you. I hate Seisui, too, but we know better than to punish the rest of their family by giving her some kind of sentence. It wouldn't be right to take away their daughter by imprisoning her. Besides, maybe after Seisui is purified, the Han'i family can bring itself back together. Maybe now that two of them will understand your kindness, the other two will learn as well." 

"I still want to go..." Usagi persisted.

"It's not safe for you to go outside with only me. The rest of us need to be there--and preferably the palace guards, too."

Usagi looked down for a moment in contemplation. Hotaru had said it...  
_  
"If Usako has met Seisui's father, then Seisui is probably right. "_

Usagi sighed. If only Hotaru hadn't been injured...then she could have asked her, instead. And she had wanted Hotaru to be there for the trial, too...there was only one other person that knew as much about Seisui as Hotaru did.

"Usagi?" Rei looked up at her, her face worried.

"I'm not going with everyone. If you won't come unless they do, I'll ask someone else to bring me...Ami, or Minako. I'm sure they'll go...and if they won't, I'll go alone."

"Usagi! You know Mamoru would never approve of that! Not after what happened last time..." Rei shuddered. That had been the chance for the Black Moon--the moment in which they led the attack on Crystal Tokyo. After that, the queen had been trapped in a cocoon of crystal...

"That's why I wanted to bring you. If someone is with me, they can protect me. Maybe Mamo wouldn't like it, but...well, this is important. I can't bring everyone. I just can't."

"Usagi, what are you planning on doing at Seisui's house, anyway?"

"I have to find out the truth, just like Hotaru said. I have to know what I've done! If...If I've done something so terrible...I must know. When I go to Seisui's house, I will understand the truth at last. Because right now..." tears welled up in her eyes. "Right now, I don't know anything!"

Rei shook her head. "Nothing I say will stop you, Usagi. I'll go with you. If something goes really wrong...well, we still have our communicators."

"Thank you, Rei."

"Let me get ready. It'll only take me a few minutes, and it'll be hours before anyone knows we're gone."

* * *

"Last night, the recently appearing 'Sailor Titan' attacked the Crystal Palace, along with three Rebel Senshi cohorts--Charon, Miranda and Phoebe. While three of the Rebels escaped by teleportation, Sailor Titan was captured. Suspicions were confirmed that Sailor Titan is, indeed, Seisui Han'i--the daughter of former Councilor Andreas Han'i. This is her second attempted assassination against the Queen, the like of which has not occurred since the former councilor was in office. Some officials believe the Rebel Senshi may be agents of Chaos, a creature which spawns all evil, but little information has been gleaned from the Palace."

"We are still trying to organize after the shock of this incident," Endymion announced. He managed to make his voice deceptively even-tempered on national TV. "However, we expect to hold the trial by tomorrow morning. The hearing will not be open to the public due to security concerns. We will inform the public of the results as quickly as possible."

Tokimo's mother had been making breakfast in the kitchen. They were out of pop tarts.

It was five o'clock. Tokimo suspected that her mother knew she hadn't slept last night. Tokimo had come in late, slamming the door behind her and running to her room, crying. She had teleported just outside Seisui's house, along with everyone else. If Seisui had been with her, she would have been home.

Tokimo pulled the covers over her head. She heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" Tokimo asked, repressing a sniffle.

"It's your mom, of course," she said through the door. "Who else could it be? Your father's at work, and the ferret certainly can't knock on the door, now can he?"

"Maybe...if he ran into it."

"Now Tokimo..." she chided her, "I'm coming in, whether you want me to or not."

"Okay, fine," Tokimo mumbled unenthusiastically.

Her mother walked in and sat on her purple-covered bed. Tokimo didn't pull back the covers to face her. She sniffled again as tears ran down her face with renewed fury.

"I heard about Seisui on the news," she told her. "I'm sorry. That must have been a terrible shock for you."

"No..." Tokimo mumbled. She pulled back the covers reluctantly and grabbed her purple brooch. She handed it to her mother. The grey morning light made the purple seem dull. "No, I knew."

"Tokimo...why didn't you tell me you were one of the Rebel Senshi?"

"I didn't wanna make you worry," Tokimo told her. "And anyway, there wasn't really any reason to. I had Kouken to help me out. Kouken can talk, you know, like Luna."

"But Tokimo...why would you want to kill the queen?"

Tokimo began crying with renewed furor. "Because...because Seisui's dad was purified, and we figured out that purified meant brainwashed. And now that Seisui's captured, she'll be brainwashed, too! And it's all my fault...it's all because I didn't save her before they captured her! I ran away, Mom! I ran away like a coward! Seisui is going to be brainwashed because I'm a coward!"

Her mother shook her head, surprised at Tokimo's opinion of purification. How could something so extreme be true? But Tokimo, she knew, wouldn't make up something so important. And anyway, it was too late to question her now. Things had already gotten this far, and Tokimo had obviously decided who she thought was right. "Tokimo!" her mother scolded her, after a thoughtful pause. "You know that isn't true. There wasn't anything you could have done, except gotten...gotten purified along with her. And that would make Seisui even sadder."

Tokimo stuffed her face in a pillow. "It least it wouldn't have made _me_ sadder. Seisui...Seisui..."

"It's not over yet, sweetheart. You've been fighting with her all this time, right?"

Tokimo nodded.

"Then you have to keep fighting. I'm sure you can get Seisui out of this mess. I know you can."

"Promise?" Tokimo asked.

"Promise," her mother replied. "Now get up. I think you guys are crazy for trying this--but it's never been a Joshi policy, you know, not to do something just because it's crazy. Besides, I can tell I'm not going to change your mind." She tousled Tokimo's hair. "I won't even make you go to school today, but you have to eat breakfast, and you have to get some sleep before you go. The last thing I need you to do is go on some crazy mission half-asleep."

"Okay, Mom," Tokimo said with a smile. With that, her mother got up off of her mattress and left for the kitchen.

"Hey, Tokimo..." Kouken's mumbled, walking into the room.

"I thought you were living with Seisui's family!" Tokimo said in annoyance. "Go back and live there. When you were living at Seisui's house, you didn't tell me I was crazy."

He paused. "I'm sorry about what happened. Maybe if I was there when Seisui tried to kill the queen..."

"Well, you weren't there, now were you?" Tokimo said indignantly. "So it doesn't matter--"

"I'm going to be this time. I didn't want to take chances, but now that things have gone so far...I suppose I have an obligation to help you. Besides...if Seisui is purified, that's one less person to help us."

"Yeah. And even if you found someone else, they'd just turn on us, remember?"

Kouken looked annoyed. "Go eat your breakfast, Tokimo. It's almost ready."

"Really? Great!" Tokimo jumped out of bed. "After breakfast, I'll call everyone. We can all figure out a plan. The trial's not 'til tomorrow--we've got a whole day to rescue Seisui! Mmm...smells like pancakes!" she exclaimed, running out the door.

Kouken shook his head as she left. "Only you, Tokimo, could eat pancakes on the apocalypse."

* * *

"Yaaaamiiiiikoooo!"

Yamiko pulled a pillow over her head as the bellowing voice of her sister sounded through the hallway. "Shut up!" she replied irritably. "I'm trying to sleep."

Yamiko could hear footsteps as Sayoko walked down the hallway. Her voice, now closer, could be heard just outside the door of Yamiko's room. "Riiight," she responded. "I'm trying to esca--I mean sleep, huh?"

"It's none of your business. You're my sister, not my mother. And besides--you should have gone back to college a while ago. If you keep skipping classes, your grades will drop."

"You're my sister, not my mother. Don't lecture me about my grades--besides, there's so much money left over from the inheritance, I don't really need to go to college anyway. And it's my business because you're my sister. The fact that you're sleeping in on a school day doesn't mean that you're just being lazy. It means something is wrong. So you'd better get up before I lock away your pills and have to allocate them to you."

"You already are, remember, Sayoko?"

Sayoko paused, remembering. "Oh yeah. I guess I am. Well, regardless, I'm coming in there. And you're going to tell me two things; why you came home so late last night, and why you're sleeping in today."

"Question one: because I felt like it. Question two: because I came home so late last night."

Sayoko sighed and opened the door, undaunted by what was a logical--if uninformative--explanation. She sat backwards on Yamiko's desk chair, straddling the legs of the tall, wooden seat with her legs and leaving the panties underneath her miniskirt clearly visible. A couple yards away, Yamiko lay under her black comforter, still holding the pillow over her head. The thick, burgundy curtains to her room were closed, blocking out the quickly rising sun.

Sayoko sighed. "Yamiko, cut the crap. I'm not so stupid that I can't tell when something's wrong. Now what's really got you upset?"

"Seisui got captured. They found out she was Sailor Titan. She's in prison right now, and soon..."

"Just like her father?"

Yamiko nodded.

"We tried to give her one last opening to kill the queen. It was all Tokimo's idea. What the hell was I thinking? I knew better from the beginning. I knew her idea was stupid. I did it anyway. Why? Why did I agree to do it? Storm the palace...make a distraction...what insanity."

"You did it because you saw what happened to Seisui's dad, and you knew what it felt like."

Seisui, admittedly, was the only person Yamiko had ever met that knew what it was like to lose a parent. The anger she felt toward the unknown terrorist who bombed the train. The day she had heard the news of her parent's death, she wanted to find the one who killed them. Wanted to find them, and make them pay...It was that pain that had made her join the Moon Senshi--seeing that pain in Seisui that made her believe in their cause once and for all.

"Besides..." Sayoko continued, "when was the last time someone was interested in enlisting your help?"

"They weren't even interested. Tokimo hated me until a couple days ago, and you can tell she still doesn't trust me. Seisui is nice, but she treats everyone that way. And Fubuki doesn't count."

"Tokimo couldn't have hated you too much if she saved your life--even though you were willing to end it. And you certainly can't say Seisui treats everyone nicely--not when she just made another attempt to off the queen. As for Fubuki, I can't say, but...from what you told me about the Church of Serenity thing, she sounds like a rough kid. The fact that she didn't kill you the next time she saw you is impressive on its own."

"It was still a stupid plan. I shouldn't have gotten involved."

"It was a stupid plan, but I don't think getting involved is what you regret. You got out of it scot-free, after all--if you hadn't, you wouldn't be here talking to me. No. The reason why you're slobbing around in bed is because you know what will happen to Seisui, and you can't bear the thought of losing her when you've just found someone who knows what it's like to be alone."

Yamiko frowned, ignoring the guilt welling up into her throat. "Well, there's not much I can do about it now, is there? Seisui's already gone. She's probably going to be brainwashed in a couple of days...so I might as well try to forget about the whole thing."

"That's the cowardly Yami again. You could at least contact Tokimo."

"I thought you were against the idea of me becoming a Senshi!"

"Well, it's too late now. You've become personally involved. You can't just back out and lay the responsibility on someone else--or no one at all. Tokimo can teleport, right? That's what I heard on the news."

"Yeah. That's how we escaped..."

"Maybe she can teleport and save Seisui."

"She's only teleported twice, and both times were in dire circumstances."

"Well, isn't this a 'dire circumstance?'"

"Well...I guess so, but..."

"Then give her a call! You've got nothing to lose."

"But what good can I do even if Tokimo teleports?"

"You might be able to lend her your power. Did the Sailor Senshi do that in the past, with Sailor Moon?"

"...Maybe..." It seemed like a viable possibility. But what good would teleporting do, anyway? It'd be just like last night, except this time, they'd all get captured. "I still think it's crazy," Yamiko replied.

"Well, if you don't call Tokimo, I will--because I can tell when you want to help. Even if you're afraid, you'll be less miserable. If you stay here like this, thinking about Seisui, you won't be able to live with yourself."

With that, Sayoko got up and headed toward the kitchen. Before long, Yamiko could hear Sayoko's muffled voice talking on the phone.

* * *

Smash.

Fubuki wanted that sound in every corner of her own fucking existence. In every corner of that fuckin' bitch's fucking life. Just so she'd know how much she'd fucked up.

Smash. Smash. The bottles kept crashing against the sidewalk. She threw them downward as she walked through the poor section of town, collecting them in the yards of the slovenly masses, throwing them in plain sight of anyone who dared to walk or drive or even glance down this way.

Smash. Her father died protecting that whore. Smash. Seisui's father, brainless because of that whore. Smash. Seisui, gone, because of that whore. That fuckin' Mother Serenity. A swear that only existed among shit-poor families and drug dealers. That fuckin' Mother Serenity.

"It's your own goddamn fault, you stupid twerp!" she shouted, throwing another bottle to the ground. "You shouldn't have done it, you moron! You've got too much courage for your own goddamn good! Just because your dad got brainwashed, huh? You think that gives you a right to be a fucking moron!

"Dammit...Seisui...! How come we're so fuckin' similar, huh? You're supposed to be the goddamn smart one. How come you're pulling fuckin' shit like me? You stupid moron! You probably fucked up in her room. If I had been there, I would've gotten the goddamn job done! The whole town would be wearing black for that broad's funeral!" She threw another bottle to the sidewalk, reveling in the shattered glass strewn about the sidewalk.

_"We honor the name of Samueru Jujutsu, who nobly sacrificed his life for the kingdom and people of Queen Serenity. We will always remember him as a hero against violent crime...even though the criminals fought against him with weapons of death, he dutifully held the precepts of the Queen, and spared the lives of the criminals..."  
_  
"Spared their lives? Shit, he didn't have a choice. That fuckin' bitch would never have given anyone a goddamn gun..." Fubuki threw another bottle as tears welled up her eyes. "You spared lives all right, you bitch! You leave people defenseless, and if they try to rise up against you, you fuckin' turn their fuckin' brains to fuckin' mush!"

_"I wish you would quit that horrible job! You know how dangerous it is."_

"Are you kidding? I don't think I could stand any other work. This job is how I keep my sanity. There's nothing else left that's exciting in this godforsaken world."

"There are people out there who still have guns, you know! Guns, and knives!"

"One whack over the head is as good as a knife. Besides, once I get promoted, they'll give me a tranq gun, which is as good as a real gun anyway."

"Son of a bitch..."

_"I knew it! It's all because he loved violence. He loved to kill and hurt! Serenity would never approve of his cruel sport! We're going to put everything about your father behind us, Fubuki! We're going to make a new start...a new start!"_

"I hate you, you bitch!" Fubuki threw three more bottles to the ground. Her mother, Serenity, herself--goddamnit, it didn't matter. "You bitch! You bitch! _You bitch!_ Everything is your fault! Everything is--"

Fubuki froze. Another bottle was poised in her hand as a shrill beeping sounded from her trench coat pocket. Fubuki relaxed her arm and let the bottle fall. Without the force, it merely fell to the ground with a hollow clatter.

She reached into her pocket; it was her communicator, untouched since the day she had gotten it. She looked angrily at the screen. "What the hell do you want?" she hissed.

"It's me," Tokimo told her. Her usual bouncy, irreverent manner was replaced with an entirely serious demeanor. "I talked to Yamiko. We're going to try and rescue Seisui. Maybe if we all pool our powers together..."

"It's her own goddamned fault, you know."

Tokimo glared. Fubuki could tell she wanted to kill her and probably would the next time they met.

"If we fail and Seisui's brainwashed, you're the first person--"

"Oh, fuck off. Serenity. I'll save your goddamned friend--I was going to all along. Anything to get back at that bitch. It was her own goddamned fault, though."

"Fine," Tokimo said coldly. "If you're coming, just come. We're meeting in the park."

"I'll see you there, then, and end this fucking shit."

* * *

Usako looked blankly into her bedroom mirror. Seisui was downstairs in a small but comfortable cell, sleeping away the energy loss. She hadn't talked to Hiroshi since he'd trapped Seisui. It hadn't mattered in the end, anyway, but...

_"I thought we agreed..."_

"We do. And I promise I will protect Seisui. But for your safety, we must end this."

But why? He hadn't protected Seisui. She was captured now, and who knew what fate awaited her. Her mother said that she wouldn't purify Sailor Titan--not unless she was sure she was possessed--but who could be sure of that, anyway? Besides, everyone might decide that Purification, of all punishments, was the most merciful. After all, Seisui would be 'happy' this way.

Usako shuddered as she numbly brushed her hair. For her safety? Who cared about her safety? She had herself, Helios, the whole Sailor Quartet to protect her. Now that Seisui had been captured, there was no one to protect her. Everyone knew who she was and what she'd been doing.

And after knowing that, there was no reason to forgive her.

There was a knock on the door. "Usa...Usa, are you there?"

Hiroshi.

"What do you want?" she asked, holding back tears.

"Usako...why are you doing this? If there's a problem, we need to talk about it. Locking yourself up in there is just going to make both of us miserable."

"Why? Why didn't you let Seisui go?"

"Because she would have tried to hurt someone--probably you! She did hurt someone. You know that, Usako. And you know I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"She didn't really hurt anyone--not maliciously. There was someone in the way, and she had to get them out of the way. After she broke the crystal, all she was focused on was escaping."

"That wasn't Seisui, Usako, that was...that creature."

"Well, it was the creature who attacked Sailor Venus, so Seisui didn't hurt anyone at all."

"I'm sorry, Usako, but I couldn't risk your safety."

"What about Seisui's safety, huh?" Usako snapped. "You didn't have any problem risking her life! Even if I had gotten killed, you could have revived me, or even, mother probably could have used my crystal and revived me. But if Seisui is purified...that's it! It's the end. And at this rate, that's what'll happen."

"...I'm coming in," Hiroshi shook his head. Crying wouldn't help...he had to be strong, somehow. He opened the door. Even though Usako wasn't facing him, he could see her tear-smeared face in the mirror. He frowned. She was much more beautiful when she smiled. He sighed. "I'm sure they'll listen to you when they're deciding Seisui's punishment. If you tell them about purification, why shouldn't they believe you? You've seen it, Usako. You know what it is. If nothing else, we can try and get them to investigate before they purify Seisui."

"Even if they do find out the truth, what good will it do? They have to punish her somehow. What would they do instead? House arrest wouldn't work. I doubt we could keep her there against her will, unless one of the Senshi guarded her house at all times, and the royal family won't want to risk taking the Sailor Senshi's time away from protecting the Earth to guard a single girl. That leaves only three options...I don't think my mother would ever agree to kill someone, no matter what they had done," Usako said with a shiver. Some of the others might even consider it...at least, after what Seisui had done, they might think that it was all that was safe. Especially considering the fact that Charon could teleport and Seisui herself was a Sailor Senshi. "The other two options are cruel enough...imprisonment means a lifetime of confinement, and the other option..."

"I don't think they would banish her, Usako. That was only done once, and to ill effect. Banishment was only for the most severe of criminals--the Death Phantom. And even if Seisui was imprisoned, I'm sure they would give her chance of parole."

"Do you really think they wouldn't banish her, Hiroshi?"

"I'm sure of it."

Usako turned toward the window. "Well, I'm not. Seisui is the most severe of criminals. I'm sure everyone thinks that, if given the chance, she would destroy this entire palace. Knowing father, and what happened in the past, he might think even worse of Seisui. No...banishment will be a likely punishment. I wouldn't even be surprised if some of the Senshi argued for banishment and purification. Normally, everyone is very forgiving, but...I've heard that many of the Senshi didn't trust the Starlights, who turned out to be valuable allies. If they didn't trust them, they'll condemn Seisui--a known criminal--in a heartbeat."

"Where would they banish her to? The only place to banish someone is the Moon Kingdom, and your mother is thinking of re-colonizing it. Besides that, there may be the palaces of the Senshi, but I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before people consider moving there, too. And after what happened with the Death Phantom, no one would be crazy enough--"

"I purified Nemesis with my own two hands. It's clean, banished of its evil. There's no reason not to banish Seisui there."

"But that place is...!" Hiroshi paused. "The palaces may be empty, but someone could live there. Nemesis is a wasteland."

"Why should they care, after all that Seisui has done?"

"Usako! What's gotten into you? This is your family and friends you're talking about! They love you. I know that they're angry about what's happened, but if it was important, they'd listen! Everyone is always worried about you, and there's no way they would just--"

"What are you talking about, Helios? Get a clue. Seisui tried to murder my mother! They didn't have a little fight that got out of hand. Seisui didn't just get on a podium and tell the world that she thought my mom was a bitch. She tried to kill her! And if we had been one moment late, she would ha--"

"Well, it's a good thing that I intervened, then, isn't it? Because if I hadn't, she would have succeeded. And then your mother would be dead! Of course, maybe I should say this--that if Seisui had succeeded, something a lot worse than banishment would happen to her. After all, that's what's important to you, isn't it? Not how dangerous she is. Not what happens to your family...everything is fine to you, everyone can get hurt, as long as Seisui is okay! Everyone can get hurt...even me."

"Helios...I..." Usako began to cry again. "I...I want this to end! Why is Seisui doing this to me? Why is everyone doing this to me? Why?" Usako bent over, covering her eyes. "In the end, how am I any better than my mother, who made so many mistakes? I can't help Seisui. I can't change the Crystal Tokyo that's gone so horribly wrong. In the end, I'm just a stupid...little...rabbit."

"Usako..." He didn't even know what to say. He didn't want her to give up on Seisui. He didn't want her to think so lowly of her family. Why had the Moon Senshi been reincarnated? They had been happier sleeping. They were happier not remembering their former lives, so full of revenge and bitterness...

A cruel thought, but merciful. He hugged Usako. He had nothing to tell her. 

* * *

Usagi looked on in horror at the sight that unfolded before her.

Rei had driven all the way to Seisui's neighborhood, despite her better judgment, despite her desire not to. And seeing Seisui's neighborhood, Usagi was tempted to turn around before she had even gotten to the Han'i residence.

The contrast was sickening. She was clad in nice, clean clothes, riding in a nice, clean car. Everyone noticed. Children dressed in grubby clothes with grubby hands and grubby faces stood on the sidewalk, gawking at the wealth. Parents returning home with one or two bags of groceries glowered, their faces telling their opinion. "Wealth isn't welcome here. You aren't welcome here."

Usagi bent over, covering her mouth. She could feel herself trembling; she fought her tears. If she couldn't even make it to the Han'i house without breaking down...

"Usagi? Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes...I'll be fine," she replied hesitantly, removing her hand from her mouth. "It's just... I didn't...I never thought..."

"I can't say I was expecting it either," Rei replied, her voice disappointed. "I always thought everyone had it good. That's what all the Councilors told us...that's what all the numbers told us. And even though the numbers did show some poverty, I always assumed people just had an apartment instead of a house, or a smaller TV. I didn't think..."

"Even when we were teenagers..." Usagi stuttered. "People didn't live like this...this was like the horror stories we heard about foreign countries...Japan wasn't like this...I...how could I let this happen? I never knew my mistakes went this deep...I never..."

"There was no way we could have known, Usagi! It's not your fault. No one told us about this, and we almost never leave the castle. It's not safe for you to leave, and we have to stay inside to make sure you're protected. This is just...just something we'll have to clean up, now that we know about it."

Usagi didn't say anything. She wasn't convinced, and from the sound of it, neither was Rei. She had let something horrible happen. The Crystal Tokyo they all believed existed--the paradise of humanity--had spiraled downward toward hell. 

* * *

Rei opened Usagi's door after parking by Seisui's run-down house. Usagi sat in her seat for a couple of seconds, contemplating if she really wanted to get out. Maybe she should just give Seisui a pardon right now. Just like Seisui said, Usagi deserved to die.

"Come on, Usagi. You wanted to learn the truth."

Usagi reluctantly left the safety of the car. Nearby, she could hear the terrible sounds of fighting.

"What are you doing?" a woman screamed from a nearby house. "Why are you wasting money on food?"

"I was hungry! Everyone in this family is. It doesn't matter if we don't need food; it still hurts, you know!" Her opponent was a man.

"You can tough it out. My family toughed it out when they were raising me! And we had a real house. We even had a real yard! And we'd go to the movies on Saturday--"

"I'd rather have a dinner with my children than a movie on Saturday!"

"Who holds the purse strings in this household? Maybe if you made a decent wage, we'd have money left over for food. But with your miserable job--"

Usagi shook her head and tried not to listen. How could she let this happen? Looking down at the ground, she followed half-blindly to Seisui's front door; focused on the horrible sound of screaming, she didn't even notice Rei ring the door bell or a woman open the door.

"What are you doing here?"

Usagi looked up, her dazed silence broken. A woman looked at her; her hair was mousy and wavy, her look desperate. Her face contorted as tears streamed down her face.

"What are you doing here!" she screamed. She held up a flat hand; it wavered a moment. At the last moment, her hand coiled and fell to her side.

"What are you thinking?" Rei said angrily. "This is her royal highness, Queen Serenity!"

The woman continued to sob. "My daughter...my husband...they're gone! What other punishment could you inflict on me? What, will you take Ana as well?"

"You must be..." Usagi murmured.

"My Seisui..."

"Please!" Usagi begged. "Please...let me see your husband. I need to find out about purification...I need to know!"

"Purification?" Rei repeated questioningly.

"Please!" Usagi looked toward the woman.

"I don't want to see your face anywhere near my house! You people of the White Moon--all you bring is disaster!"

The White Moon. A term for the members of the Royal Court, it was used only with the utmost of spite. It was a term that Rei had never heard before, except when uttered by the servants of Chaos.

"Please..." Usagi pleaded, tears streaming down her eyes. "Let me see your husband."

"It's not like anyone in this family could ever stop you. You do what you please, say what you please--the whole world bows down to you. I do, as well, because I still have one last loved one to save. I only pray that she will not repeat the mistake of daring to dream in this godforsaken world!"

Seisui's mother slammed the door in their faces. Usagi didn't dare ask her anything. Seeing this, she only feared the worst.

"I am sorry for my wife's conduct. If Seisui is purified, that is truly a blessing for this family--not a curse."

Usagi turned toward the voice; it was Han'i. He was dressed simply and neatly; his face was vacant and happy.

"Why is that?" Usagi asked weakly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"This family harbors an ill-will I do not understand. They do not see your kindness."

"I don't see how you can see any kindness in me...not when you live surrounded by...this."

"But I do see kindness. Living in Crystal Tokyo, all I see is paradise all around me, because everything in this world was dreamed by your great heart."

"If this horror was dreamed by me, I'm not a great person! Everything here is terrible, like a nightmare. What paradise is left?"

"Your modesty is great, Queen Serenity. You give your great heart no credit."

"Have you been listening to what I've been saying? Can't you see how poor and miserable these people are?"

"They are only miserable because they allow themselves to be. All people who accept your kindness find eternal happiness."

"Usagi...there's something...odd...about him," Rei remarked warily. "This is nothing...absolutely nothing like the Han'i of our court."

"The people here are poor. That's why they're unhappy! Because I let them be poor, because they have no hope, they are miserable! I would like them to find kindness in their hearts, I would like them to be eternally happy--but how can they be satisfied when their lives are like this?"

"I have told you before the truth of the situation, my Queen. If you look into your heart--your heart filled with kindness, honesty and love--you, too, will find the truth."

"Usagi...what's going on? What has happened to Councilor Han'i?" Rei asked.

"Look into my heart..." Usagi paused. What Hotaru had said about Purification was true. It wasn't that there was no wisdom to what he said, but there was naiveté, there was something changed in him that no matter how much Usagi wished otherwise...she knew it was wrong. This was happiness, but it was also denial. She could only imagine, with horror, when Seisui had seen her father like this after his trial. The father she loved wasn't just a new man. He wasn't a man at all! He was Usagi's own kind of abomination. He was possessed--not by Chaos, but by her own terrible power! Instead of the thirst for power, the endless agony, hatred, and sorrow of Chaos...this was her own terrible mark. An endless patience, an unyielding love for everyone, a loss of ambition or hunger or any human desire. Chibi-Usa was right. Hotaru was right. This terrible, awesome power...the power of the Silver Crystal...

She fell to her knees. She tore at the ground. She felt dizzy. Tears fell without her realizing their presence. She had visited Crystal Tokyo as a girl, seen its beauty, looked at herself in admiration. That fond memory was shattered. The fond memory of herself as young and full of hope meant nothing. This is what she had really been looking forward to, all of those years. This is what she had really been dreaming of when she saw Crystal Tokyo. Her supposedly bright future was a lie. This was Crystal Tokyo.

Her hell.

* * *

Usagi looked blankly at the gleaming houses of Crystal Tokyo as they drove back toward the palace. It would have been more direct to just turn around and go back through the less affluent part of town, but Rei knew better than to expose Usagi to the sight of the poor once more. Although she still looked vacant and depressed, her grief had subsided somewhat. Her attitude of complete self-blame frustrated Rei. How could she take on all responsibility for this? There was no way to her know the truth about Crystal Tokyo. There was no way for any of them to know. And still, Usagi stared blankly out the window, obessed with her crimes.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Rei asked. Usagi could see Rei's eyes reflected in the rear-view mirror; huffy, angry, self-righteous. Typical Rei. "This isn't your fault. How were you supposed to know about Purification? We would have had to know someone before and after they were purified, and we would have had to know them personally. After all, if we just walked up to anyone, we probably wouldn't know any better. Everyone loves you, Usagi. And you couldn't have known about the poverty, either. No one told us anything. We told the Councilors to go out an find the problems. They didn't. They told us lies, sugar-coated Crystal Tokyo for us. And we knew after the Black Moon that going outside the Palace is too dangerous to do on a regular basis. Besides...what if Seisui _is_ possessed by Chaos? It's true that purifying her father was a mistake. But Seisui's anger is so intense that it may well be possible that Chaos got to her and corrupted her. Don't lose hope yet."

"Seisui wouldn't have to have been possessed for her to be so malicious. After meeting her father, even I can see that," Usagi replied, her voice cracking as a few more tears made their way down her cheek.

"Usagi..." Rei sighed. "I know this is all very upsetting to you. I can tell that the fact that you've done...this is very hurtful to you. You've made a terrible mistake, and now you don't know how to make up for it. But...you can't expect that you'll be perfect all the time. I think it's amazing that you've managed to make things so peaceful. You've tied so many people together, and reconciled them. Even before you were Queen--just look at the Outer Senshi. They were ready to kill you before you taught them that we could work together. I know you want to get along with the Moon Senshi, too, and make all the bad things you did go away, but...you can't. And you can't expect to make everyone get along all the time. You shouldn't blame yourself for it."

"I used to be able to. I'd wave my wand, and everyone would be happy and pure again..."

"It doesn't matter if you have any easy way out or not. You've managed to help a lot of people, even during the times when you haven't used the Silver Crystal to make things right. I don't think anyone else could get the world to cooperate the way you have."

Usagi didn't reply, and Rei didn't press it. Usagi would wake up eventually. She always did, and then, things turned out okay. Somehow, even in the worst of situations, things turned out okay...

Rei's rambling train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a large, yellow sign labeled "DETOUR." Looking beyond it, she could see why.

There was a crowd of cars and people jammed together for as far as the street extended--even beyond, walking up the street. From here, Rei couldn't see what they were gathering for; but knowing what had popped up in the news this morning, she could hazard a guess that it had to do with Sailor Titan. Part of her felt an urgency to return to the castle, but she couldn't help being a little curious--and worried--as to the source of the giant spectacle. She glanced in the mirror toward Usagi. She appeared to have calmed down; no longer crying, she looked out the window, an expression of mounting concern on her face. If Rei didn't find out what was going on, Usagi would find a way; and better for her to see why the crowd was here for than for Usagi to sneak out on her own.

"Usagi, do you mind if we pull over for a while?"

"What's going on? It isn't...a riot, is it?" Usagi looked worried. Poor Seisui had gone through enough, without this kind of response from the public...

"I don't think so. Let me get out and see." Rei parked her car alongside the road and stepped out, feeling a bit daunted by the unending line of cars down the street. Sure enough, the throngs of people looked far too organized and calm to be rioters; they all headed toward a huge, crystalline structure. A obelisk jutted out at the top, a silver-colored moon shining at its peak. It was almost a miniature replica of Crystal Tokyo. Rei crinkled her eyebrows in concern. Rei remembered hearing something about a church that worshiped Serenity--but she knew nothing about it, so she couldn't be sure that what this bulding was. Other buildings throughout the world often mimicked the architecture of the Crystal Palace. She turned toward Usagi. "It looks like some kind of gathering. They're all heading toward a huge building...it looks a little like the palace. I'm going to go check it out."

"I'm coming with you," Usagi replied, exiting the car.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Rei warned her. "The meeting probably has something to do with Seisui, and regardless of whether it's positive or negative, these people are bound to have a strong reaction to meeting the Queen. You're in no condition."

"I'll be fine, Rei," she assured her. "I promise. I can't run away from my people any more...so please, let me come with you."

Rei sighed. "Once you're convinced, Usagi, there's no point in arguing. Just...keep a low profile. If that's possible. Maybe you should use your transformation pen..."

"I don't want to hide behind a disguise," Usagi disagreed. "It feels like lying, now that I've seen what kind of ruler I really am." She frowned. "And anyway, a lot of people can see through the disguises."

Rei sighed again. No point in arguing... "Okay...fine. But put on a cloak, at least. I don't want people mobbing you."

Usagi frowned but duly complied. They had brought the cloak in case the spring weather got chilly; a good call in retrospect. The cloak, at least, covered her clothing and her hair, the telltale signs of Queen Serenity. If anyone recognized her, they'd have to do so by her face--less identifiable, considering that the Queen was seldom seen in public.

The faces of the people around them looked worried. They seemed intent on working toward their destination; surrounded by people, Rei could only begin to see past the obelisk. As she approached, the purpose of the building became chillingly clear.

Huge marble statues rose above them, their bodies the very likenesses--without a doubt--of the Sailor Senshi. One side held the Inners, the other the Outers. Their expressions, though god-like, showed hints of their real-life personalities. Mercury was wise, Saturn was mysterious, Uranus was proud.

Looking upwards, Usagi only seemed confused. Rei wasn't sure what was going through her head, but the whole idea that someone had made this must have been as amazing to her as it was to Rei. She had heard of the Church of Serenity before, even, heard that the church was a popular spectacle. But this...whoever built this must have put hours of time and effort into hailing the Queen's greatness.

Rei tapped the person in front of her. A woman, she wore a garment of pure white, glittering with rhinestones on the edges. It looked more like a wedding dress than anything else.

"Excuse me..." Rei asked as the woman looked patiently toward her. " What's going on here?"

"We are all here to pray for the swift end of this tragedy. We are scared of the Rebel Senshi. They are a sign of Chaos...they may be the end of our paradise. We look to Serenity's greatness in our hour of darkness, for She always leads us to happiness and peace."

"That's...a lie..." Usagi mumbled. Rei looked warningly toward her; it would not do well for her to denounce people's faith at their own meeting--or risk revealing her identity by doing so.

"The Church is open to everyone today," the woman told her. "All of us are hoping for the swift end of the Senshi traitors. Chaos is within them. They have accepted darkness into their heart. Come--you should pray with us."

"I see," Rei said sedately. "Er...maybe I will." The woman bowed her head politely and continued her trek toward the Church.

Rei was barely able to make her way into the church. The pews were full, the aisles were full, the balcony was full--the church was full of followers. Some of them were completely clothed in the color of one of the eleven Senshi. Others were simply dressed up; there were people in ordinary street clothes, too, and a few people who wore work uniforms or business suits. In the center of it all, a diamond statue proudly stood, a glimmering likeness of the queen. Strangely, her face was missing.

A Priest, clothed in white, stood on the podium in front of the statue. His speech, apparently, had been going on some time; when they entered, people were listening quietly to him talk, entralled. "...Have come here because of your fears of the Rebel Senshi. That is the primary reason for this great meeting. The second reason is the symbol of the promise we have made to be strong--like our queen--despite our fears. I refer, of course, to the dedication of this statue. Made of diamond, it is even stronger than it is beautiful; it is a testament to our great queen. The strength of this stone shows the strength of our leader! The strength she gives to us, her followers. My people, I promise you, our queen's greatness will not be driven back by a few rebellious children. Was not the goddess of death and rebirth, Sailor Saturn, able to see her great light? Were not the great outer warriors enlightened by her power?"

"_Yes! yes!_" the crowd screamed enthusiastically.

"Did she not go to the great depths of darkness to drive back Chaos? Did she not promise us all a bright future?"

The crowd once again screamed agreement.

"Is this not the very Messiah of our people, who saved us from the obelisk of death? This is Serenity, the goddess of all life, the guardian of light and sanctity! Her brightness extends infinitely. These Senshi are merely fragments of Chaos. Their shadows cannot hope to oppose her brilliance!"

Usagi looked downwards in shame. What lies, what horrible lies...

"That is why I dedicate this statue today. That is why we all dedicate this statue, because our Queen cannot lose!" The priest held a glittering piece of opal above him, carved perfectly in the likeness of Serenity's face. Her face smiled gently above them, promising them a bright future. "That is why we put this final piece on the statue! Her face, perfectly preserved despite the vandal's extensive damage. For there is only one weakness in our Goddess's heart; that is her soft, gentle love for everyone. And that is her beauty that shines down on us all!"

Usagi covered her face and began to cry. "That's a lie...it's all a lie!" Rei looked at her worriedly as her weeping attracted the stares of a few churchgoers; looking toward her, they whispered various words of concern. Soon people were huddled around her. They had worked themselves between her and Usagi; Rei struggled to get closer, but soon, she knew, the inevitable would happen.

"There, my sister, do not hide behind this cloak...bring your grief to the Queen's light!"

And down it went. Her bun-coiled hair for the world to see; her kind, soft face, her glowing white gown, and most of all, her shining silver crown. People in the crowd gasped, or laughed, or cried in joy. They pulled her up and motioned to the priest.

"The Queen cries from your words, Father!" they shouted. "The Queen is moved to tears!"

Before Rei could even move, they were clearing a path for the Queen to the podium, shouting enthusiastically, bowing before her. Amidst the people, Usagi merely looked lost as tears continued to stream down her face. Somehow, she was moved robotically forward by the crowd, moved by her own confusion. It was always Usagi's most emotional moments, Rei thought sadly, when she did the most dangerous things.

"My Queen," The priest said to her, kneeling downward, "please...set your glorious face into the statue. If you touch this statue with your holiness, your kindness and wisdom will surely shine down on us forever."

Rei was surprised to find that despite her overwhelming sobs, Usagi complied. She gently wrapped her hands around the opal face and held it before her. She climbed up the stairs leading to the head of the diamond statue, turned toward the crowd, and let the light from the crystal obelisk shine down on the sparkling face.

"Farewell," she shouted, half-sobbing to the crowd. "Farewell, to the me who was foolish!"

Her hands flew apart. The white opal dropped downward. As it collided with the steps, its sparkling fragments flew everywhere; onto the steps, into the crowd, down to the podium.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Listen to me," she told them. "There is no Goddess. There is no great Queen! There is no light for you to look on. There is no Neo Queen Serenity! There isn't even a Sailor Moon. All there is is me--Usagi Tsukino. A flawed ruler, a terrible parent, an innocent, stupid crybaby. Forget this Church. Forget this Paradise! Look out your windows, beyond the sparkling mansions, and see the world I've really created! A world where people fight over their bread. A world where people live in poverty. A world where I have purified, brainwashed the parent of an innocent girl, and by doing so, corrupted her forever! Leave this church. Find your own answers! Try to fix what I have destroyed." She looked down at the opal fragments below her. "You are not my people. You are something much better than that." She paused. "You are your own people."

The crowd did not move, and Usagi took that opportunity to run. She did not know what would happen after she left, but she knew it was too late for her to do anything about it.

Rei followed after her, unable to think of anything except getting her away from here and back into the safety of the palace. 

* * *

Seisui woke up with a start.

White burned in her eyes. White burned through her brain. Was it purification? Maybe some seed of her true self slept inside this terrible whiteness...

"You're awake, I see," a voice told her. "You slept all night."

Seisui sat up. No, not purified; it was just the room that was so hideously white. It was her prison; if it could be called that, for it looked identical to any sitting room in the Crystal Palace. Seisui turned toward the door; it was clear, probably made of crystal, and locked tightly. Through the door she could see Sailor Jupiter, eyeing her critically as she leaned on the wall. Seisui looked down; her fuku gone, she was wearing the blue jumper she had changed into after school yesterday. Fumbling into her pockets, she was disappointed but unsurprised to find that her locket was missing.

At that moment, she was so overwhelmed by the situation, she had no response except a blank stare toward the marble floor. She had lost...she had lost...soon, something so terrible would happen...

"We've never had to guard our prisoners before. You can take it as a compliment, if you wish, that a Sailor Senshi was necessary to make sure you didn't try anything else that was foolish." The sound of Sailor Jupiter's voice, evidently, carried through the door.

Seisui smirked. "I would have rather you spared me the compliment and given me the chance."

"Even knowing what I do about you, I can't understand why anyone would want to kill Usagi. Chaos was one thing...there, it was power. Or is that what you want, too? Sailor Charon named you as our queen's replacement. Was that what you wanted? A chance to be queen?"

"I didn't know she said such a thing," Seisui replied. "I suppose it is the sort of thing she would say. Only she would have that kind of confidence in me. As for myself, I don't care who takes the Queen's place, as long as she and the royals are gone. Or should I say I didn't care? After all, everything is all over, now..." Seisui's voice wavered. She probably would have cried, but her heart, perhaps trying to save her some suffering, had numbed itself. She had already given up. Tears were there to alleviate pain; with no end to her pain in sight, they would only be a burden.

"But why? Why would you want such a thing? I know Serenity may have made mistakes, but how could it justify her murder? If you wanted to change things, why work against us? What were you hoping to achieve?"

There was silence for a moment. "Well?" Jupiter asked her. "What?"

"What was I hoping to achieve? I'm not sure, myself. I suppose, in my mind, anything was better than Queen Serenity. She committed unspeakable crimes against my father. The only thing left of him was his negative reputation, which I carried every day of my life. I'm not even sure if I was hoping to achieve anything. I wanted her to feel my pain." Tears fell down her face unheeded. "Looking back on this, I can see that I was foolish. I could have killed her both times. I came so close. But I waited. Because I wanted her to feel, with horror, what she had done to me. Because that might, for a moment, let Neo Queen Serenity see what I find most odious about her." Seisui looked listlessly toward the white-washed walls. "Because she cannot stand to hurt people, she locks herself away in a crystal tower where she never has to see their pain."

"That's a lie!" Sailor Jupiter snapped. "Do you realize what could happen if we left the Queen wander around without the protection of the palace? We did once, and she nearly died! Even with all of us protecting her, you never know when the enemy might have a moment's chance--and then, the safety of the queen--"

"Safety?" Seisui interrupted in revulsion. "Safety? People live in run-down houses and apartments, live with brainless parents--and you talk of safety. I'm sure, to you, her safety is important. But safety is never, ever worth that kind of ignorance! It's the kind of response I'd expect from someone of the White Moon."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing!" Seisui snapped. "Why should I bother? My fate is already set in stone. I will be purified, and as far as I'm concerned, that is the end of my life. I only pray for death, that I might live preserved in the memory of others."

"If you want that," Sailor Jupiter replied in annoyance, "you want to be remembered as a murderer. If that's what you want, you really are a terrible person."

"You can think what you like," Seisui replied. "It won't change my fate either way."

She lay back down and hoped for sleep, and in it, escape.

"Tokimo..." she murmured sadly, wrapping her face in her arms.

* * *

"So," Fubuki asked, looking toward Tokimo, "what the fuck are you going to try, anyway?"

"Even if we storm the palace, Tokimo, we won't be able to do anything," Yamiko said. "They'll be ready for us, this time. Besides, I've heard there are crowds camping by the palace, waiting to hear the outcome of the trial. I'm sure they'd like nothing more than to put an end to this by capturing all the Moon Senshi and 'ensuring the safety of the world.'"

"Yamiko is right, Tokimo," Kouken agreed. "A plan like that goes beyond even your normally insane ideas."

"Shut up, Kouken," Tokimo retorted, glaring at him. "I wasn't planning on storming the palace. I was thinking I could teleport into Seisui's prison and rescue her! Then we'd be out of this mess, and it'd be back to old times..."

"The fuck? I thought you didn't have any control over where you ended up," Fubuki replied.

"I know," Tokimo replied. "I don't. But I thought if we pooled our powers together, I might be able to do it."

"Pooled our powers?" Fubuki repeated skeptically.

Tokimo nodded. "Uh-huh. Just like the Senshi always used to do. Y'know, get in a circle and Kouken shouts 'Sailor Teleport!' I saw it in a documentary once in school, during the part that I wasn't reading my manga. How 'bout it, huh, Kouken?"

Kouken paused. "Hard to say if it would work. The problem with that idea is that it takes a lot of energy and time. Besides, is it really wise for everyone to go? You just want to rescue Seisui. You might want to bring less people and try to be quicker rather than bring more people and risk another person getting caught."

"I agree," Yamiko added.

"Weeelllll..." Tokimo crinkled her brow in thought. "What Fubuki if and Yamiko tried to put their powers into my naginata or something, and just help me teleport?"

"Would that even do anything?" Yamiko asked Kouken.

"It probably would, if you concentrated hard enough. You can use your transformation phrase like a channel for your power, too..."

"Sounds like a plan! Come on, let's give it a try."

"But Tokimo..." Kouken warned, "there's no guarantee that you'll teleport into Seisui's prison. You've never been able to teleport to anywhere specific before. Who knows where you might end up? You might teleport into the throne room and find yourself surrounded. And then you'll be no better off than Seisui."

"I can teleport away," Tokimo told him. "Anything is better than letting Seisui get purified!"

Kouken nodded, and Tokimo held up her hand.

"Charon prism power!" she cried, focusing her power into her Naginata as it materialized in her hands.

"Miranda prism power!"

"Phoebe prism power!"

Beams of green and black moved toward the Naginata as it glowed with purple light. The colors converged and turned to a murky black.

"Please! Bring me to Seisui!" she cried, and felt herself disappear. 

* * *

Hotaru remained perfectly calm as a vague, black and purple form began to materialize in her bedroom.

"Hello, Tokimo," she greeted her, turning her head toward the rapidly appearing senshi. Sailor Charon held up her Naginata, ready to attack at any moment. "Sorry I can't get up to greet you. I'm still recovering from my wounds, and need to rest in bed."

"How do you know who I am, huh?" Charon asked angrily.

"Sailor Phoebe--or rather, Yamiko--told me. But that was a little while ago, now." Hotaru smiled. "I take it you're not here to see how I've been recovering."

"If it was up to me, you wouldn't be!" she angrily replied. "Because of you, Seisui was captured, and I wasn't able to save her! Because of you..." Sailor Charon held up her Naginata.

"Things may have been worse for Seisui, Tokimo, if I hadn't been there."

"How could they be worse? She's going to be purified, now! What's worse than that?"

"I'm sure your television hasn't been on all day, Tokimo, so it comes as no surprise that you didn't know this. But the Queen snuck out this morning. It isn't known where she went for the entire day, exactly, but she definitely made a stop at the Church of Serenity."

"What, you mean that wacko church? Why should I care? That doesn't bring back Seisui."

"Here, turn on the TV."

Sailor Charon looked at her strangely; but Hotaru certainly wasn't in a position to attack her, and if she hadn't screamed for help yet, she probably wasn't going to. She shrugged and turned on the TV.

"--there is is me--Usagi Tsukino. A flawed ruler, a terrible parent, an innocent, stupid crybaby. Forget this Church. Forget this Paradise! Look out your windows, beyond the sparkling mansions, and see the world I've really created! A world where people fight over their bread. A world where people live in poverty. A world where I have purified, brainwashed the parent of an innocent girl, and by doing so, corrupted her forever! Leave this church. Find your own answers! Try to fix what I have destroyed. You are not my people. You are something much better than that--You are your own people."

"Those are the words of Neo Queen Serenity this afternoon when she mysteriously appeared at the service of a nearby church. The source of the Queen's agitated and emotional manner is unknown, but most people believe it to be a momentary lapse in self-confidence because of the presence of the Rebel Senshi. The news channel has been unable to get in contact with her majesty or any other members of the royal court because of the trial."

Sailor Charon turned off the TV. "What is this?"

"Yesterday, before you attacked, I told Usagi about purification, informing her that I had no concrete proof. Presumably, she wasted no time in finding that proof herself. Now she knows about purification. And you can see how she feels about it now."

"What does that mean to me?"

"It means that Seisui will almost certainly not be purified. I was going to defend her myself at the trial, but as you can see, that is no longer possible."

Charon paused. "Even if Seisui isn't purified, they'll still find some other way to punish her! Even..."

"I assure, Seisui will not be executed. Even King Endymion, who is protective of his Queen, would not do that. As for what her punishment will be...I have no idea. I'm sure Usako will appear to defend her, and the Queen will as well, and those are perhaps the greatest allies to have. But no one else will. And unless one of you decides to make an appearance, no one will know the story of the Moon Senshi. The Crimson Eagle told me, but as I said before, I cannot share your story for you."

"What, you want me to go to Seisui's trial and defend her?"

"No one knows your story, Tokimo. And of all the Senshi, even the Moon Senshi, you are the only one who seems to have been with Seisui from the beginning. You have believed what you do--what she does--unwaveringly from the very start. No one will listen to Seisui's story. They probably believed you were merely swept up by lies she fed you. Only you can convince them otherwise."

"Why do you want to help me and Seisui, huh? I thought you were on the other side."

"I am the soldier of death and rebirth. I hover between light and darkness. I understand you and Seisui, even if I do not agree with what you are doing--and I do not wish to see Seisui unfairly punished. If she is, our sides will never reconcile. Even if she escapes--which, while not the worst of situations, is definitely not preferred--it is better than seeing her purified or banished. Please...speak for Seisui, and for the Moon Senshi. Make the others understand who Diana was, and what happened to you. If you do, I am sure they will be forgiving."

Sailor Charon paused, looking down at Hotaru's imploring face. She would rather kill the Queen, get rid of the Senshi as they were. What they were doing to Seisui was absolutely unforgivable. But the Queen seemed to finally understand the true horror of her crime. Hotaru seemed to genuinely want to reconcile them. And while Charon might not trust them or even agree with their ideas, going to the trial could mean saving Seisui. Trying to get to her prison now would be next to impossible.

"How am I going to get to the trial, huh? They won't let me in the front door, and I can't teleport well enough to get right in the court room."

"Helios can teleport. He's loyal to the royal family, and I'm sure he doesn't want Seisui roaming free, either--but he sympathizes with you and won't want Seisui's punishment to be unfair. I'm sure he'll agree to help you."

Sailor Charon looked a little uneasy. "Well, okay. But he better be there before the trial begins! Or I'll kick your ass!"

"I promise. Will you be able to get out?"

She nodded, holding her Naginata above her. She was going to save Seisui. No matter what...

Hotaru relaxed as Sailor Charon teleported away. Somehow, she was sure, everything would be okay. 

* * *

Seisui looked on. Her fate was to be decided by a group of people who did not understand her and her father, who did not want to understand them, who would never understand them. She sat up stiffly, handcuffed. The royal family sat around her. All of them were staring at her, and all that stood between her and an eternity of meaninglessness was the royal family--her greatest enemy.

"I hate to have the trial without Saturn," Neptune said with regret. "She probably knows more about the Moon Senshi than any of us."

"It can't be helped. Besides, Saturn's injury is most likely as much Seisui's fault as it is Charon's. That alone says something about her guilt," Uranus replied.

"In any case, we should wait for Lady Serenity and Helios. Even if Saturn can't defend Seisui, I'm sure Lady Serenity will have something to say," Mercury replied.

"I'll be just as glad when this is over with," Jupiter said angrily. "I've had enough of these Moon Senshi. Once, I would have liked to make amends. Now..."

Mars looked a bit uneasily toward Jupiter.

"Is something wrong?" Jupiter asked. Perhaps she had been too harsh, after all...

"Maybe...it's hard to say. I'm sure it will come up soon enough."

Serenity's face paled a little at Mars's words, and Serenity wrung her hands together nervously. Endymion, sensing her discomfort, looked at her in concern.

"Are you feeling well, Usako?"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm just a little nervous. This is the first time something like this has happened." Usagi sighed in relief. The others, evidently, hadn't heard of what happened earlier today. They had probably been too busy arranging the trial to watch the news.

"That is true," the queen of Pluto added. "It is not often that all of us are assembled together. The fact that even I have been called from my post at the Space-Time Door speaks of the importance of this trial."

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of the huge doors being swung open into the courtroom. Between them appeared Lady Serenity. Queen Serenity would always remember little Chibi-Usa in her fluffy pink princess dress--but now, on her growing, almost adult figure, it looked elegant. For a moment, Serenity wished that Chibi-Usa was still a child.

Wordlessly, she walked through the courtroom and took her place beside Queen Serenity. Wasting no time, Helios followed; and behind him, someone that the Sailor Senshi were not expecting.

"This is the Sailor Senshi that attacked Saturn--Sailor Charon!" Jupiter shouted. "What could she be doing here?" Jupiter turned toward Usako. "Did she force her way in, Usako? Threaten you or something?"

"What on earth can she mean by coming here?" Venus asked with concern.

"Please, calm yourselves," Helios interjected. "I was requested to bring her here by Sailor Saturn."

For a moment, there was confused silence.

"Did this Charon girl tell you that?" Endymion asked. "It makes little sense to me why she would request you to bring the very person that attacked her!"

"Saturn asked me herself," Helios told him.

"Saturn wanted her own murderer present at the trial? What could she have been thinking?" Mercury wondered.

"Saturn has her own way of doing things. Coming from her, this doesn't surprise me at all," Pluto replied.

"I'm here 'cause I want to be!" Sailor Charon interrupted. "Because I'm sick of all of you messing things up for Seisui! You want to pass judgment on Seisui as a Moon Senshi and as a person, but you don't even know anything about us, or about her!"

"This is too much to stand," Uranus interjected. "You cannot expect us to hear Sailor Charon defend Seisui when she is just as murderous! We should be trying them both at once!"

"Enough, Uranus," Endymion warned her. "Let us reserve judgment on Charon until another day. Saturn wished us to hear Charon defend Seisui; therefore, let her do so."

"You better!" Charon retorted.

Endymion looked toward Seisui bitterly. "My first proposition, is, of course, that Seisui must be purified. I feel--"

"No!" Lady Serenity shouted.

"We mustn't purify her!" Queen Serenity interrupted him, her voice lost admist Lady Serenity's.

"If you do that, I'll never forgive you!" Sailor Charon yelled, overpowering both their words.

Endymion, a bit taken aback by the simultaneous surge of dissent, looked on in confusion. "But why not? I can see Charon's disagreement, but my daughter and my Queen--you, surely, cannot deny Seisui's dangerous nature. If we purify her, she'll no longer be a threat."

"Daddy! Purification isn't what we thought it was. It isn't a mild punishment at all! If you purify Seisui, you'll destroy her. I know it sounds strange, but it's true. By removing a person's hatred, you're also removing the way they distinguish their love. Seisui will love anyone as much as she loves her friends. Her worst enemies will be treasured as much as her best friends!"

"I know Seisui tricked you into becoming her friend," he told her, "but you can't believe what she said. She probably just told you that because she wanted to carry out her ambitions--and having you think negatively of purification aided that goal."

"You're wrong, Daddy! I saw Seisui's father with my own eyes. I saw what the crystal did to him! He isn't even a shadow of his former self. He has no goals, no dreams...he just sits around! Can you imagine having a father like that? You would have been better off executing him!"

"Lady Serenity!" he admonished her. Execution was a punishment that those of the Neo Silver Millennium refused to consider. "How can having seen Seisui's father once or twice given you any real knowledge of what it was like to grow up like--like her?" he asked, looking down at Seisui.

"Once you see a victim of purification, even once, there is little doubt in your mind about its effects," Seisui told him.

"I'm sure you would say so," Endymion replied.

"No!" Neo Queen Serenity interjected, tears forming in her eyes. "What Seisui says is the truth."

The Sailor Senshi turned toward Queen Serenity; all but Mars, in shock.

"I, too, met Seisui's father, this very day. Everything Lady Serenity says is true. I purified a generation of people, I purified countless criminals, thinking I was being merciful. But I was condemning them to a meaningless life! Seisui's hatred of me is only natural. Her desire to kill me is justified! Therefore...please do not make me look at her face any longer. I fear the guilt will destroy me. Let her go free, and I will try to make amends for my crimes."

Everyone looked at Serenity. A unanimous expression, a simultaneous question of "is this true?" crossed their faces. If Serenity said it was true, who could doubt it? It was the word of their queen. But this was so much...too much...

"Queen Serenity..." Endymion began, his words grave. "Even so, we can't just allow Seisui to go free--"

"Shut up!" Seisui snapped. "I want to hear it. I want to hear more." Her face broke into an eerie grin. "I always wanted to hear it. I wanted to see you crying, miserable, realizing what you had done to my fa--"

"How could you!" Mars shouted, standing up and looking toward Seisui. "How could you? The Queen is pouring out her regret and pity to you, and you scorn her, you take pleasure in seeing her suffer! How pathetic. Before, when I went with Usagi to see your father, I felt pity for you. But hearing you say this, I see what kind of person you really are!"

"You can't blame Seisui for wanting revenge!" Sailor Charon retorted. "For the Moon Senshi, our past is nothing but watching the Queen of Luna eternally make mistakes! In our past life, we were killed by her grandmother in the pursuit of power. And in this life, we are purified for bringing to light her mistakes! If I were Seisui, I'd feel the same way!"

"Charon is right!" Lady Serenity agreed. "Even if Seisui's anger is too strong, even if it isn't justified, how can anyone blame her? After what we've put them through..."

"After what we put them through, they should be angry--not bloodthirsty!" Uranus replied. "As it stands, I cannot justify giving the Moon Senshi mercy. I understand that Purification is no longer an option, but Seisui simply cannot be allowed to go free."

"But what, then, will we do with her?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"Your highness," Helios began. "I believe that the best option, in this case, is imprisonment. If we imprison Seisui, her personality will remain intact. She can still see those who are important to her. Seisui's anger, I believe, is understandable. But it has grown so great that it has become dangerous. If Seisui's rage abates, I believe we could eventually pardon her and even work with her and the other Moon Senshi to repair those problems in the Neo Silver Millennium which have recently surfaced."

"I think that Helios puts forward a good suggestion," Neptune agreed.

Lady Serenity looked toward Helios in disappointment; she didn't want Seisui to be locked away. She understood Helios's feelings, but how could she reconcile herself with the idea of imprisonment?

"I would like to follow Helios's suggestion," Endymion replied. "I think it is appropriate. Unfortunately, I cannot agree to do so, and for one reason only; Sailor Charon."

"That's right! Because I'm not giving up until you let her come back with me!" she shouted.

"You must understand that we can't just let Seisui leave without punishment!" Uranus retorted.

"No, I don't understand! I've been with Seisui from the beginning. I know what a good person she is!"

"If she's a good person, she'll realize that killing Neo Queen Serenity is not the answer to her grievances," Uranus told her.

"What if it is? She's messed up this badly. She's attracted Chaos all those times. She's made people live in poverty. In some cases, ruled selfishly! She's caused people to follow her blindly. She made Seisui sad! And from the way it looks to me, she'll keep making people sad!"

"Silence!" Endymion demanded. "Not only are you speaking about the queen of the Earth, but you are speaking about my wife. You may want Seisui to leave with no sentence. Some of you may want imprisonment. As I said, this is not possible, because of Sailor Charon. You see, she has demonstrated at least once that she can teleport significant distances. If we lock Seisui away anywhere near here, Sailor Charon will teleport her out. And if we lock her away anywhere on Earth, I'm sure she will travel there to free her."

Lady Serenity could feel tears streaming down her face. "You can't be suggesting--"

"In this case, I fear that banishment may be our only choice. Seisui is a severe criminal. Too dangerous to risk her getting loose. I would suggest capturing Sailor Charon at this very moment to prevent a punishment this severe, but it would both go against the wishes of Sailor Saturn and, I'm afraid, it would prove to be ineffective. After all, if Charon can teleport Seisui out of her prison, I'm sure she could teleport herself out."

"I can't even do that!" Sailor Charon shouted in rage. "I haven't even been able to teleport the same place twice, let alone end up where I want to go!"

"The powers of a Sailor Senshi are an extension of their willpower. I'm sure you could find the strength to teleport Seisui away, if you truly felt a desperate need to do so."

"Then why couldn't I just teleport to Nemesis?"

"Nemesis is far enough away that I doubt you would have the power for that--even if you did possess the will," Endymion replied. "Additionally, you have no clear conception of where it is, and that alone would make it nearly impossible to teleport there."

Sailor Charon began to cry. "If you banish Seisui, I'll never see her again!"

"I am afraid, under the circumstances, you have left me no choice," Endymion replied.

"But your highness," Helios objected, "When you last sent someone to Nemesis--"

"I understand your concern, Helios. But I feel that with its purification, Nemesis is now safe."

"Mamoru!" Serenity cried. "Seisui doesn't deserve to be condemned to that kind of loneliness!"

"I'm sure we can arrange for Seisui to be visited. Sailor Pluto will not have any objections."

"Of course. I would be happy to accompany anyone who wishes to visit Seisui, provided they pose no threat," she agreed.

"You can't do that!" Lady Serenity shouted. "Seisui is my friend! I won't let you...!"

"Don't bother trying to defend me. The feeling, I assure you, is not mutual," Seisui said, looking toward Lady Serenity. "It's too late to do anything now. I should be content with my sentence. I have not been purified. I have seen Serenity suffer. For now--perhaps, forever--that is all the comfort I will have."

"I will allow you to say goodbye to your friends and family, Seisui, and I promise they will visit you," Endymion assured her.

"I don't want to say goodbye. Just take me. I can't stand the sight of this Earth that holds no promise of freedom."

"They can't do that!" Sailor Charon cried, tears streaming down her face. "Sailor Saturn, you liar! I hate you! I'll kill you! Chaos--"

"Charon!" Seisui shouted. "You mustn't. You must escape from here! If you attack, they will banish you as well. And then, who will carry on our hopes for this world, and the Moon Senshi? "

"No! I can't leave you behind. It isn't right! I already left you once. I won't do it again! I absolutely won't!"

"I will take Seisui to the Space-Time Gate, your majesty," Sailor Pluto told him. "From there, I can bring her to Nemesis. We can send the necessary supplies afterwards."

"Please, Charon! I don't want you to come with me. You are the only friend I've ever had. You were the only thing that gave me hope. Please, please continue to do so. We are only the first of the Moon Senshi..."

"Come along, Seisui. I do not think your deadly dreams will be realized." With that, Sailor Pluto put her arm around Seisui's shoulder and lead her from the courtroom hall. Sobbing, Seisui did not resist.

"Seisui! Seisui! _Seisui_!" Charon sobbed. Watching the Senshi rise from their seats, Charon knew it was only a matter of time before they tried to capture her. She held her Naginata above her head. She watched the energy gather to it. She prayed this had all been a nightmare. 

* * *

"I am sorry that things came to this. I hope that you will find it in you to cooperate with Neo Queen Serenity, rather than nursing your anger," Sailor Pluto said kindly to Seisui, opening the gates of time-space and leading her gently into Nemesis.

"Leave me be."

"As you wish."

The doors swung behind her, sealing the outside world forever.

Forever.

"Forever...forever..." Seisui looked out upon Nemesis. No longer shrouded in the Death Phantom's energy, the sun shone through an expanse of white clouds. A beautiful, sunny day.

Seisui fell to the ground. "Forever..." She closed her eyes as sobs racked her stomach. She fell to the ground.

"I've failed, forever...lost, forever...died, forever...nothing is left...this planet will be my grave. This barren, lifeless womb of eternity. No...no...no..."

"No!" she screamed, listening to her echo sound through the barren world.

Seisui clawed the ground. She got up. She started to run.

She didn't know where she was going. 

* * *

"Tokimo..." her mother said quietly, opening her door. "Tokimo, I know you're still upset about Seisui, but...I think you should start to think about going back to school. Your father's worried, too. It's been so hard for him to work with you like this. I'm sure you can see Seisui again sometime. The whole 'Rebel Senshi' fiasco is starting to settle down, anyway. I'm sure if things stay quiet, they'll pardon you, and you'll get visit her on Nemesis."

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Tokimo said quietly, sitting up in bed. "I'm not ready for school yet. I promise...I promise..."

_--You were the only thing that gave me hope--_

Tokimo shook her head. Try not to think about Seisui... "I promise I'll go back soon. Maybe next week."

"Okay, sweetheart. But remember...you promised me you'd go out once a day. Here. I'll bring your note, in case a truant officer gets suspicious. You go get dressed and promise me you'll try to have fun. Why don't you call some of your other Moon Senshi friends? I'm sure they'll know what you're going through."

"I told you mom. The only one who was that close to Seisui was me. The most that they'd feel is pity."

"Well...okay." Her mother left the room, glancing worriedly behind her.

One week.

Tokimo had never been depressed for that long in her entire life. She tried not to think about it. She tried to listen to her mother say "you can visit her." But it wasn't the same. Not after seeing her sent to Nemesis. Not after all the plans they'd worked so hard for were gone. There was no more 'get rid of Chibi-Usa.' No more 'kill the queen.' The last time she had even looked at her transformation brooch was a week ago, at the trial.

"I'll go with you today, Tokimo," Kouken said, slipping through her bedroom door.

"I don't want to think about being a Moon Senshi right now. I'm not ready to go to school, and I'm less ready to think about Queen Diana. Maybe in a month or so. Usako's not going anywhere."

"It's nothing like that," he told her. "I wouldn't expect you to fight right now. I just figured you could use the company."

Tokimo looked down at Kouken. She didn't know the hairy little rodent thought about anything but cucumbers. Since Seisui had left, Tokimo's mother had been taking care of him. Maybe the novelty of a talking ferret had helped to keep her going. "Okay," she replied. 

* * *

"I'm sorry I haven't been around more, Tokimo..." Kouken apologized, walking beside her. "I figured that you wouldn't want me around."

"It's okay," Tokimo apathetically replied.

"There's a lot of Moon Senshi, you know," he told her. "I bet they're all over the world, just waiting to be discovered, just waiting to join us in our fight. And when they do, maybe there's hope for Seisui."

"But where are they? And how can I find them? I'm stuck here. Even my mom wouldn't let me do that."

"They'll begin to awaken, and they'll come to us. They've seen the Rebel Senshi in the papers, right? They're bound to start remembering. Now that the Rebel Senshi scare is starting to quiet down, I bet we'll start hearing about them. And then, we can gather them together..."

Tokimo smiled. "That's right! And then we could save Seisui!" She frowned. "But...who knows how long it'll take? And how would we get to Nemesis?"

"If you had the energy of all the Moon Senshi, not just Fubuki and Yamiko, I'm sure you could make it to Nemesis."

"Still...it would take so long. And there's no way we could find the Moon Senshi on our own. You were lucky enough to find us."

"True...it was a bit of guesswork and a bit of luck. There were bound to be Moon Senshi in the largest city in the world. More than 60 Moon Senshi is a lot when you've got them all together, but you spread them all over the globe...you suddenly realize that around 60 Senshi isn't even more than a bus or two of people."

There was silence as Tokimo felt disappointment over her sudden lack of options.

"But hey!" she suggested, looking toward Kouken. "Maybe I could try it with just the Sailor Senshi we have now!"

"It'd never work," he told her. "It didn't even work to get you to Seisui's jail cell. How could it work to get you all the way to Nemesis?"

"Because I want to! Asshole told me. A Sailor Senshi's power gets determined by how much they want to win! So If I really, really wanted to teleport to Seisui..."

"That may be true, Tokimo, but you aren't even at your full power. Maybe if you had your crystal, you could teleport between planets. But not with the way you are now!"

"It's worth a try. What have I got to lose?"

"Who knows where you could end up? It could be in Germany, or Antarctica, or the ocean--or even, space!"

"Well, I'd rather be in space than here where I might never see Seisui again. I'm going to try it."

"You're just as fucking crazy as always, Tokimo."

Tokimo turned around; it was Fubuki, smoking a cigarette. Jirou, several yards away, leaned against a concrete wall and sported his own trail of smoke.

"Don't you wanna see Seisui?" Tokimo said defensively.

"Not really," Fubuki replied. "I just don't give a fuck anymore. This whole Moon Senshi idea was stupid to begin with. Jirou was right..."

"But what about Queen Diana? What about Seisui's dad?"

"Queen Diana can't be any worse than what we have now. And I guess you mean Purification, huh? If it's anything like what people have been saying in the news, it's probably an improvement. Maybe I should take my mom to the Queen. That'd get her to shut up."

"How could you say that?" Tokimo shouted, assuming a fighting posture. "After what we've gone through to kill the queen! You really are Fubitchy!"

"Yeah, well, you can go fuck yourself, for all I care. Sailor Senshi are pussies anyway. I never should have gotten involved. There's no way you're getting to mother fuckin' Nemesis, anyway. Even if you had all of the Sailor Senshi."

She threw her cigarette to the ground and started to walk off.

"Fine!" Tokimo shouted after her. "You can be the first to die, when Diana wakes up!"

Fubuki didn't respond. 

* * *

"Hey, Yami," Sayoko called. "Phone for ya."

Yamiko walked slowly, full of dread, toward the phone.

"Hi! It's Tokimo. I need your help. I want to borrow your powers again, so I can teleport to Nemesis."

"Not interested. Goodbye," Yamiko replied, moving the phone back toward the receiver.

"No!" Tokimo shouted. Yamiko sighed and for some odd reason kept the phone next to her ear. "You can't be okay with Seisui's banishment, can you?"

"I can't say that I'm okay with it, but I'm not going to do anything about it. Seisui knew the danger she was putting herself in. I did what I could to save her. As far as I'm concerned, it's over for the Moon Senshi."

"But what about all the Moon Senshi we haven't found yet? There's still hope for our cause! We can't just let Queen Diana take over the world!"

"Well, you can find those other Moon Senshi. Count me out. This time's for real. Goodbye."

With that, she hung up the phone.

"Yamiko..." Sayoko began, her voice worried.

"There's nothing I can do," she replied guiltily. "Just forget about it."

* * *

"That's it!" Tokimo shouted. "They can all be purified, for all I care! There's no way I'm leaving Seisui alone any longer! Absolutely, positively No way!"

"Tokimo, you're just excited. Seisui's not going anywhere. There's plenty of time to save her! We'll find the other Moon Senshi, and then--"

"You suck, Kouken! I don't wanna wait. I can't wait for a friend! I'm leaving! Now! So say goodbye, Yamiko! Say goodbye, Fubuki! I'm saving Seisui!"

"Tokimo--"

"Charon prism power, make up!' she cried. She held her Naginata above her head.

"Whoever, whatever! Bring me to Seisui!"

Kouken looked worried as she disappeared. 

* * *

Eventually, the barren nothingness ended.

Seisui had traveled miles since she first arrived here. Sailor Pluto always brought her supplies. They gave her a tent, with a promise to build a small house later. They asked her if she wanted her family to visit. She wasn't ready yet. She always said no.

She could see something large in the distance. It intrigued her that there was something here. This was the farthest she had ever been on Nemesis, and she was beginning to wonder if she was seeing an illusion. It was the middle of the night. But even at night, Nemesis was burning with a sky full of stars. She could still see now as well as at Earth's twilight, but she still wondered if the darkness was playing tricks on her.

She approached a strange, crag-like feature. It took her at least fifteen minutes to get there. When she arrived there, her curiosity was hardly satisfied.

The 'crag' was the beginning of a gigantic expanse of ruins.

The figure was a statue, a woman. She was larger-than-life; seven feet tall, and dressed in a flowing gown. The statue looked to be made of marble, but it was splotchy and charred in several areas, as if it had been near a fire. Her wavy hair reached to the bottom of the flowing dress, and her eyes were turned downward toward the earth. She held one hand to her chest. Who was she? Why hadn't anyone discovered this? In a way, it wasn't too surprising. Untouched since the fall of the Black Moon family, Nemesis could hardly have been explored.

She continued on through the ruins. The huge statue was not alone; there were others behind it. Many of them appeared to be unfamiliar Senshi and Knights, 20 or more. The senshi had short, puffed sleeves and tall, skin-tight boots. The knights wore a simple, tunic-like garment with a cape. Oddly, they did not wear masks. In the center, there were eight men and one woman, dressed in a strange but familiar way. Each held a weapon. A bow, a chain, a glaive, a sword...they looked menacingly toward her. Their garments held four lapels; each statue's lapels had the symbol of a different planet emblazoned upon them.

Something about them made Seisui uncomfortable. They looked as if they wanted to move. She walked on toward the ruins.

It was like a disintegrated palace. Cathedral-style arches and flying buttresses were strewn about everywhere. Stained window glass was shattered across the ground. Most of it was shattered so badly that its original images could not be made out, but Seisui could swear she saw the same woman that had appeared in the statue in one of the fallen windows. The only thing intact lay in the center of the destruction; a well, filled with water, still and clear as glass. The sides were black and smooth and reflective, like obsidian. Seisui walked toward the well and looked inside.

Nothing. Just her murky reflection...

Seisui shivered. A strange sound rose from the well, like a dead person laughing.

_Seisui..._

The image of her father appeared in the well.

He was happy, smiling. But not the dull smile of Purification. Not the meaningless happiness. Crying, she realized the laughing was her father's. The laughter that was dead to her. She could see him hugging her affectionately, the hug he would give her if he were able to see her again. Because it was her in the well. The her that was looking into the well. She looked around her for her father. Was the reflection her reality?

Seisui gasped. Of course, no one was there. Of course not...she looked back into the water, hoping to see her father again. Now there was nothing in the water but herself.

"Daddy!" she screamed, looking vainly into the water. It must have been an illusion. She wasn't that stupid. But vain hopes and wishes overcame her, and she could feel the icy cold water wrapping around her as she dove mindlessly into the well.

There was no one there. Of course. How foolish. There was nothing there, of course...

Then Seisui saw a long, smooth handle. It glowed, dark and purple, like a black-light. It was attached to smooth, black glass, a round, obsidian portal. A door...

Seisui grabbed the handle. The light intensified. She could feel rumbling. She could feel herself rising back through the water as it poured off of her and onto the ruins below her. There was a spire rising below her, near-black purple, vaguely similar to Crystal Tokyo. The obsidian door shattered and she began to slide down the spire. Her hands were wet and slippery; she could not hold on. She fell into the gray, sandy dirt below her. Getting up, she began to run. There was something rumbling, slowly rising below her feet, and she had to get away...

Seisui could see the sky clouding over as she approached the statues. She could hear a rumbling in the skies. The earth continued to shake. She began to run past the statues; she stopped, terrified, as they were surrounded with dark light. The light swept across the statues and the stone disappeared, as living bodies replaced them.

A man with black hair looked down at her and licked his lips. "The first kill of the season, I see."

He held out his hand and a corpse appeared from the soil. Nothing was left of it but bones. On its forehead, Seisui recognized a black, reversed crescent moon; the symbol of the Black Moon family. "Poor Saphir was right," he said, smiling. "In the end, youma are the most faithful." The skeleton was soon covered in a dark, glass-like substance. It moved toward Seisui, its right hand sharpening into a knife-like blade.

Seisui looked on, dead with fear. The man swore as his creature shattered. A woman, clad in purple, stood above it. She held a glaive in her hand.

"The hunt hasn't begun yet, Crius," she admonished him. "And we don't know if Sailor Nemesis wants to use her."

She held out her free hand and the same dark light gathered into it. The familiar form of Seisui's brooch hovered gently above her palm.

"Take this," she told her, "And run from this place."

Seisui, confused beyond questioning, took the locket. The woman held out her glaive and the seven others made a path for Seisui to escape through. Terrified, she ran, not wanting to know the true meaning of what she had done.

Gasping for breath, another figured appeared before her. Seisui stopped dead in her tracks, afraid of who or what it could be.

"Seisui!" a familiar voice cried. "What the heck is going on, huh?"

Seisui, despite her terror, broke out into a smile. "Sailor Charon! Tokimo, how did you get here?"

"I got here 'cause I'm awesome. But what's with--"

_The castle exploded. the Crystals shattered, and the land turned into darkness and ruin. A black, poison colored palace replaced the shining white one--_

Tokimo remembered this. It was her dream...

"Tokimo?" Seisui asked, looking worriedly toward her.

"Nothing. We gotta get outta here, Seisui! Let's go!"

Sailor Charon held her naginata above her head. She shuddered; something dark and terrible rose through it. No matter; she and Seisui disappeared. They would return to Crystal Tokyo, safe from the strange and ominous darkness.

_ARC ONE: FIN_

* * *

I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I'm not at fault, right? It's everyone else's fault, right?  
If you think so too, if you'll believe in me,  
I'll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny

Lulululu...

Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite  
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne  
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba  
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara  
Lulululu...

* * *

**  
NEXT ARC:**

**Yamiko**: The darkness has awakened.

**Tokimo**: A new and entirely different kind of enemy appears! Threatening the very solar system we live in, our fight against Diana and Queen Serenity is set aside for a greater evil. Now, we are forced to work toward saving the lives of everyone on the planet.

**Yamiko**: A mysterious man, clad in black, finds his way into my life. Uninterested in the attention of this strange Adonis, he nonetheless works a kind of unexplainable charm...

**Erik**: The horrors of my life, past and present, begin to surface. I do not remember because I cannot bear to; but the familiar presence of the Priests soon awakens my inner demons.

**Tokimo**: Kouken's promise was not in vain. Two new senshi make an appearance! Each of them, however, possess their own strange mysteries...

**Yamiko**: Two brothers, bound by the darkness of Sailor Nemesis, leave death in their wake. Is what brings them together the love of a family, or the hatred of each other...?

**Seisui**: Everyone else is trying to save this earth. But I cannot stand the thought of cooperating with the people I abhor. I must kill Queen Serenity! I must destroy the white moon! I must kill them--before I kill myself...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO:

ARC 2: SENSHI OF CHANGE

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness. 

* * *


	10. Episode Ten: The Beautiful Shadow

_It was all over her. Red on her body. Red in her eyes. Red all around her._

_Red. Red. Red._

_The myriad twirls of an elemental. Mocking, jeering, laughing._

_Morrigan._

_Anger. Hatred. War._

_Red._

_There was energy inside of her. It wanted to get out, but there was no place for it to go. Angry power, power like fire. Surging and boiling. But heavy._

_She wanted it to blow away._

_But someone was watching her. Watching, and laughing..._

* * *

suki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo

Episode Ten:

"The Beautiful Shadow"

* * *

"Deidre," a voice encouraged her. "Deidre, wake up. You're home." He opened the car door and shook her gently.

She woke up with a jump. She looked into the tired old eyes of her new father.

"No!" she said urgently, grabbing him. "N-not Deidre! Please...Kazeko."

"But Deidre...you don't think that changing your name is going to make you look Japanese, do you?" The man shook his head. "Listen, there are a lot of foreigners in Japan now. It's no big deal. Besides, just because your name is different isn't going to make you look any different. You look as Irish as anyone can. And that's a good thing. See? You have such pretty red hair." He brushed through her long, coarse hair. "You'll be very popular."

"I-I...I don't want to be popular!" Kazeko stuttered, the scarlet images crawling back into her brain. "P-p-please don't say that, Mr.--Mr.--"

"Shirochize," he reminded her gently.

"Y-yes. Please, call me Kazeko."

"Calm down...Kazeko. You're fine, see? You have a new house, with new friends. Now stop stuttering like that..."

Kazeko tightly shut her eyes, vainly hoping to will away the confusion of this new place. She didn't want a new house. Only a few hours ago, they had picked her up at the orphanage. Kazeko overheard them talking to the caretaker...her Japanese was bad, and they were pretty far away...but she could make out bits and pieces...

_"We're looking...very nice...lady...polite. Oh, please, let her be pretty. I'd like a pretty girl."_

Her "mother" was neat. She dressed like a man typically does--except for her long, thin skirt.

_"...exciting? A daughter...our own. ...can't wait!"_

Her "father" dressed almost exactly the same as her mother. He was wearing a gray outfit, and he had a thin, hide covered case. The case made Kazeko nervous. The caretaker nodded.

_"I know...perfect. A little shy, but she has beautiful hair. ...very sensitive, though."_

They talked about her like a flower, Kazeko thought. Pretty, but--as far as they were concerned--brainless.

Kazeko stepped out of the car and looked around her. It was strange. She hated this place--so few plants and trees. Even the orphanage wasn't like this...was this, as they said, the place where the gods dwelt? What power did they have, so far from the Source? There was no smell of rotting leaves or damp here, even though it was springtime.

"It isn't the Eire," she mumbled.

"No, it's not Ireland. But you left Ireland, remember?" Her mother took her hand gently. "All by yourself. That's impressive. I wonder how you managed that...Kazeko?"

"I..I left on a plane," she mumbled.

Her mother chuckled kindly. "No, Kazeko, I was just wondering where a fragile little thing like you got the money for a plane ticket. But we can talk about those things later. It's not imp--"

Kazeko became fearful. Her face began to flush. "I-I-I--I begged...for the money.."

"Dei--Kazeko...what's come over you all of a sudden? You look feverish. "

_Red..I have to escape...I have to run away..._

"T-t-t-the dreams are bad," she muttered. "I've got to go. I've--I've got to calm down...I have to find a tree..."

"A tree? Kazeko, what are you mumbling about?" her 'father' asked. "Come on, now, be a good girl and tell me what's wrong."

"I'm looking for a tree!" she said urgently, grabbing his arms. "Please, help me! D-d-don't ask me why!"

"There's a tree in the backyard," he replied, putting his hands gently on her shoulders. "Please try to calm down."

"I-In a moment..." Kazeko ran to the car trunk and flung it open, digging her cotton cloak out of one of the hide-covered suitcases. It was worn, handmade. She put it on, clinging to it desperately, and fumbled toward the tiny backyard.

It was a cedar. Kazeko ran toward it and placed her hand upon it. She breathed deeply. She had to relax.

Cedar. A tree for repulsing negative energies.

The branches almost seemed to wilt upon her touch. This tree was old; it had been assaulted by progressive waves of energy. First darkness. Then light. Then darkness again. The tree used the darkness and the light to bring balance. Combined, those energies made it whole again...

Sorry, she thought. Sorry, but I need to get rid of it.

Kazeko felt her hand become heavy like lead as darkness pulled away from her and into the tree. Slowly, slowly, make it disappear...

"Disappear..."she murmured.

She could hear footsteps distantly, in the back of her mind. They were coming toward her, behind her...

_"You have to escape, Deidre--"_

The patter of footsteps, inside the brush--running, running, closer behind her...have to escape, have to escape--!

A hand fell onto her shoulder. Kazeko gasped. Her hand pulled back. She cringed as the energy she had concentrated so hard to remove siphoned back into her, filling her body like a syrupy poison.

"Deidr--"

"K-Kazeko!" she corrected him. The fear in her voice made it snap.

"Sorry...Kazeko." He paused for a moment. Kazeko didn't turn around to see the expression on his face. Probably fear, shock, or disgust.

"W-what?" she finally replied, trying to breathe deeply despite her irrationally lit fears. She turned toward him.

"Kazeko..are you all right? Why is your hand on the tree like that?"

Kazeko fumbled for her pendant. A knot with three points, smooth cold silver. "N-nothing. Just looking. It's...a nice tree."

"Kazeko...I know things were hard, but--"

_Red._

Kazeko winced.

"But try to relax, okay? It's very safe in Crystal Tokyo. This isn't sketchy like some of those European towns, and there's not any dangerous wilderness..."

Kazeko frowned. The man, her foster father Mr. Shirochize--whose first name she did not even know--looked at her.

"Kazeko...please give things a chance? I want us to be a family."

"O-okay. I understand. I just...I have trouble with new places."

"It's okay," he said comfortingly. "Come on, you can go inside and rest. I'll bring you your dinner. Try to calm down, okay?"

He held open the door as she walked inside.

It was Crystal Tokyo.

Home of the Tuatha De Dannan.

* * *

"King Endymion...I have some very unsettling news," Sailor Pluto said.

The meeting had only just started. Every morning at eight o'clock, the council convened. Usually only one or two members of the sailor senshi attended, depending on the issue. Today, only Serenity and Endymion attended. The councilors immediately fell silent at Pluto's interruption. The king and queen turned toward her.

"What is it?" Serenity asked, worried.

"I went to Nemesis less than an hour ago in order to check on Seisui and restock her supplies. Upon my arrival, however, I found that she was missing--and not only was Seisui gone, but..." she paused, an expression of worry crossing her face.

"Yes?" Endymion urged her.

"There's a new enemy on Nemesis--or so I presume. When I arrived, there was a towering castle. The sky had become murky...there was a huge, black obelisk at the center of the palace..."

There was silence for a moment. A councilor looked toward Pluto.

"Then, the Black Moon family--"

"Who knows? But it looks like another enemy--probably an incarnation of Chaos--has appeared. What I fear even more than this is that Seisui is gone. She could be dead--but even more than I worry about that, I hope that she hasn't been captured and taken under this new enemy's...influence."

"Then there is no choice but capital punishment, now that Seisui is corrupted!" shouted Councilor vonDarkmoor, the blonde-haired representative from Germany. He stood up from his seat as he spoke. Perhaps he did so, Endymion thought, to make up for his lack of height.

"We don't know that she's corrupted," Serenity objected quietly. "Moreover, even if she were, I could purify her."

"That isn't even the issue. If Seisui is corrupted, she'll be inside that palace. And I don't think it would be prudent to rush in on this place right away--we aren't even sure if it is Chaos or some other enemy," Sailor Pluto interjected.

"Don't forget, your majesty, that Sailor Charon can teleport," another councilor suggested, scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Sailor Titan may already be on Earth again."

"That seems highly improbable. Sailor Charon does not have the power to teleport anywhere near that far."

"Do you know that?" Councilor vonDarkmoor asked.

"Sailor Saturn has informed us that Sailor Charon, upon trying to teleport into Seisui's prison, ended up in Saturn's room. Is it really feasible that she could teleport to Nemesis?"

"I would argue it is, your majesty," vonDarkmoor continued. "The power of a Sailor Senshi is an act of will. If Sailor Charon was able to get only a few floors away from her best friend when she was imprisoned on the same planet, how far could she go if something much worse happened--say, if she thought she would never be able to see her friend again? No, I think it quite possible. Perhaps not probable, but possible--and the risk that Seisui could be running freely on Earth again is not one we should ignore.

"Moreover, it seems odd to me that these rebels--these 'Moon Senshi'--appear right before a new enemy. While we have already established that these are real Senshi and not impostors, could it not be possible that they chose to work in league with Chaos or one of it's minions? It wouldn't even be necessary for them to be corrupted, would it? It could even be a condition of their cooperation. I can see Chaos making a deal if it were advantageous. The rebels might say, 'we'll confuse and scatter the Sailor Senshi, you go in for the kill...but we refuse to be corrupted.' It's a well thought-out tactic. After all, the Moon Senshi have distracted us--but that is all they can do. They don't have the power on their own to destroy the queen. But with the help of Chaos, they could. And Chaos, I'm sure, would benefit from the queen's emotionally weakened state--"

"Enough. There is nothing to support this hypothesis," Endymion interjected. "If I see any proof that the Moon Senshi are allied with Chaos, I will investigate it further, but for right now I shall assume that they are separate enemies.

"I will, however, consider the idea that Sailor Charon could have teleported Seisui. While it is unlikely, I suppose it is possible; it is even possible that this enemy could have seen it beneficial to teleport her back to Earth instead of taking her under their wing. God knows she's caused enough trouble without being corrupted. Knowing the Moon Senshi's less-than-graceful strategies, it wouldn't surprise me if she were merely back at home. Sailor Pluto?"

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Please find Seisui. If you do, return her here. We can't afford to delay any time in coming to a decision on this--not now that a new enemy has appeared."

Sailor Pluto bowed. "Yes, your majesty."

"I will inform the others of the new enemy, and we'll begin research immediately--though often, I'm afraid, little can be gleaned before the first attack."

* * *

_When he awoke, there was blood._

_It was an endless pool. Extending for eternity. It was up to his knees. A Sailor Senshi stood before him. She looked into the lake of blood._

_"I am...dead..."_

_Her form became vague. A thousand countless Sailor Senshi split from her. They walked toward him, arms dangling at their sides, limp, hanging as if on hinges._

_"We are...dead..."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"It's your fault, isn't it? It's our blood, isn't it? You couldn't protect us. You couldn't serve us."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"So you killed us."_

_He looked around in panic. The voices came from everywhere, from nowhere. Hollow laugher, and then sinking. They all fell, one by one, their bodies splashing limply into the stagnant, iron-scented pool._

_Then, a black mask. It smirked, mockingly._

_A dark, tall man. Long hair, and a cloak. Armor like iron. The black cloak had a red underside, red entrails spilling from the black, iron cloth._

_"What are you afraid of? Of me? Of course...you would want to forget, wouldn't you...?" _

* * *

Erik's eyes snapped open.

He could still smell the iron. He had become used to the smell; his hobby was blacksmithing. It had become, even, like an old friend or a companion. But the iron-tinged scent of blood had given it new, terrible meaning.

4:30 am. Not any worse than a school day; it was a two-hour trip by train. He was used to seeing the deep blue morning, and even on weekends, he'd only wake up an hour or two later than this.

But he hadn't had a choice lately. Not since he'd taken up his new job.

The nightmares weren't bad at first. A few vague shadows, a sinking feeling of shame.

But they had gotten worse, more detailed, bloodier. Faces jeered at him, mocked him for some literally unheard of crime.

And then, the mask.

It had only been in dreams before. But once he started going to Tokyo, it would appear in front of him during the day. And then, hours lost from time.

This time, he woke up with a wound. He had to go the hospital, make up some excuse about an accident when he was forging a sword. The doctor looked skeptical. An accidental wound on the shoulder?

He brushed the bandage. Touching it filled him with a vague and distant shame.

He shook his head and walked into the kitchen. Vague and fearful thoughts yielded no answers.

* * *

"Seisui...hadn't you better hide somewhere? It won't be long before they find out you're gone." Seisui looked at the cherry tree as her mother spoke to her. The blossoms were starting to fall off. Now, it was almost uglier than it was beautiful; a mish-mash of pink, a beautiful head of hair with bald spots all over it.

"Yes, I should...but...where would I go?"

"You could stay at Tokimo's, right? No one knows she's a Senshi. And she seems like a nice girl...one of the few left in this world."

"I see what you're saying, and it would be okay for a little while, but...what am I going to do? I'm back, I'm finally safe, but what does that mean? I can't go to school, or they'll catch me. I'm too young for a job, and even if I weren't, they'd do a background check. It may be less lonely here, but the prospects are just as grim. I can't live off you forever."

"Seisui..." Her mother frowned. "I would gladly support you for the rest of your life and have you here with me than far away and out of my care." Her mother walked up behind her and rubbed her back comfortingly. "As for Tokimo...it's just for a little while, and I'll send them money. We're not rich, but I've managed to take care of you this long, I can scrounge it up. They'll forget about you eventually, if you stop making trouble. They'll know that you've given up."

Seisui clenched her fist. "I wish I believed you. But...after what I did...they'll tear this world apart looking for me. Right now, I am the most dangerous criminal..."

"They won't find you. They'll give up. Where will they look? Please, stay with Tokimo for a few days. There's no doubt that they'll come looking for you here. Please? I'd rather miss you for a few days than an eternity."

"Mom..." Seisui looked at her. Her mother hugged her; Seisui hugged back. "I'll go."

* * *

"Coming!" Tokimo's mother shouted as the doorbell chimed.

She opened the door. Her welcoming smile hung a little limp as she saw Seisui standing there with a canvas bag in her reddened palms.

"Excuse me for intruding..." Seisui stuttered. This, she realized, was probably the most rude behavior imaginable. What had her mother been thinking? Her mother, of course, probably had other things on her mind than politeness. Seisui only prayed that what Tokimo's mother had said about Shiwaumians being laid back was true...

Tokimo's mother shook her head as if she were remembering something. "Seisui! What's wrong with your hands? Did you walk all the way here with that bag in your hands? Why, I bet it even has your alarm clock in it, knowing you. I'm amazed you could fit everything in there!" she said admonishingly, pulling the bag from Seisui's hands. It was, indeed, a little heavy; most of the weight, however, seemed to be her school books, which bulged out conspicuously from the bottom of the bag. "It must be at least an hour's walk from here to Tokimo's. Why didn't you take the bus?"

"I...I...didn't want to be seen..."

"Well, I can forgive you for that, I suppose. Come on in, or else you will be seen--and it's a wonder you weren't already. You should have called me. I could have given you a ride."

"I didn't want to be a bother..."

"Well, it's too late for that anyway, so you might as well make the best of it. Besides, you can be a bother anytime you like. You know Tokimo won't have any problems with it," she said with a smile, moving out of the way so that Seisui could walk through.

"Hey, Mommy!" Tokimo shouted, running out of her room. "Who's--"

"Hello, Tokimo," Seisui said, smiling.

"It's Sei!" she shouted, hugging her tightly. "Are you gonna stay over, huh huh?"

"For a few days, I think," she told her. "Hopefully, I won't have to stay too long. My mother will send you as much as she can," she added, looking apologetically toward Tokimo's mother.

"Don't worry about the money. My husband makes more than enough, especially since Tokimo is our only child."

"I'll try to help around the house," she added. "I can't go to school right now, either..."

"My mommy doesn't care, Seisui," Tokimo told her.

"Tokimo, why don't you help Seisui catch up in her schoolwork? Just because she can't go to school doesn't mean she can't learn, you know. Maybe they'll pardon the charges someday. Then you'll be ready."

"But I don't wanna come home and do more schoolwork after I've already done it!"

"It's okay, Tokimo," Seisui replied, "I'll just read your books. I usually catch on pretty quickly, anyway."

"Well...okay..." Tokimo pouted. "But right now, it's time to have fun! We can go to the mall! I'll put you in a super spy Tokimo disguise! No one will ever recognize you!"

"Not right now, Tokimo," Seisui replied. "I don't feel up to it. Maybe in a little while."

"Oh..." Tokimo replied, a little disappointed. "Well...okay."

* * *

"Seisui isn't here," Seisui's mother said firmly. Despite her complete distaste for the royal family, she tried to cooperate with this woman--this "Setsuna." If she did, they might lose interest sooner. They might give up on trying to find Seisui. "You were the ones who put her on Nemesis. You're the only ones that know where she is. Nemesis is a big place, or so the books say. Maybe she's just wandered somewhere on the planet...?"

"I assure you, Mrs. Han'i, that is not the case," she replied, sipping a cup of tea. "I have completely scoured the planet. If Seisui were present, I would know about it."

"Then I don't know what to tell you."

"If you did, I'm sure you wouldn't tell me," Setsuna calmly replied.

"If that's true, there's no reason for you to be here."

"Certainly there is," she disagreed. "If Seisui were in this house, you wouldn't have let me investigate the premises. To be sure, your house is small enough that if Seisui were here, I would have found her. Therefore, it is logical that she must be somewhere else."

"Where do you think she is?" Mrs. Han'i asked. "Do you have any clues...?"

"I'm afraid that I'm in no position to divulge this information," Setsuna replied. "However, if I hear word of your daughter, I will be sure to let you know. While what happened to her is sad, it would be better for your sake that we found her. We have certainly put no restrictions on your visiting; if Seisui is not found, however, you may never see her again."

"That's true," Mrs. Han'i agreed. "Despite my misgivings, I will let you know if I hear of her."

"Thank you being so cooperative," Setsuna replied, picking up her purse and setting down her cup. It was still half full. "I must be going. I can't afford to waste any more time here, and so I bid you good-bye."

"Of course," Mrs. Han'i said, "I understand completely."

* * *

"I told you so," Usako mumbled as the door opened. The hinges were always well oiled. They didn't creak. But Usako could see it open in her mirror.

"Usako..." Hiroshi mumbled, standing in the doorway. He had opened her door three, four times since Seisui had been banished. This was the first time she had said anything to him--at least, anything meaningful. She hadn't been going to school for the past week, but in all other respects, she had feigned health. She came down to eat every meal. She pretended to be interested in the small talk of the court. She assured her mother she'd be fine in no time. But after dinner and meetings and all the other family gatherings, she came upstairs and sat in her room. Hiroshi opened the door just like this, a crack, looked in on her, left. She'd be drawing, reading, sleeping.

"I'm sorry, Usako."

Her silence was broken by the clicking sound of her pencil falling onto her desk. She had been drawing absent-mindedly...vague, sketchy figures were tearing their way across the page--strange eyes, vague frowns, wine or blood falling from goblets.

"I didn't want to be right. I wanted you to be right. Even though I was angry because you trapped her, I thought, if you were right, if she were only imprisoned--I could see her, maybe--convince father to let us talk for awhile...maybe...

"But you weren't right. I was right. Right when it counted. No one thought I was right about Purification or Seisui's innocence. Maybe, like Mom, they believed it when they saw it themselves--but not when I told them. Even you...doubted me."

"I never doubted you, Usako. I doubted Seisui. I think what happened to her was awful, too. I wanted Crystal Tokyo to change after finding out the truth. But Seisui was too full of anger for anyone's safety. She needed time to see that we could change. To see that we weren't just aiming to persecute her."

"But we were, weren't we?" Usako sobbed. "We did. We are! Seisui has been persecuted. And if you don't believe that, you can go to Nemesis yourself and see how happy she must be! Even when she escaped purification, it was only the next best thing for her!"

"Usako! Get a hold of yourself! It's never over. Talk to your father. Convince him that it's safe to imprison Seisui here on Earth! Maybe if we're there to help her, she'll change her mind. If we have to, we can go to Nemesis, talk to her there...maybe we could even live there with her for a while," Hiroshi reasoned.

"Seisui won't listen to me. She never has."

"If that's true, why are you still friends with her? What's the point of this argument?"

"I don't know!" Usako stuttered, resting her head on her desk. "I'm still in love with you, too, and you won't listen to me either. At least Seisui agrees with me, even if she hates me."

"I do agree with you, Usako! What happened to Seisui was terrible!"

"Then why did you entrap her?"

"Just because the queen hurt Seisui's father, that doesn't mean she should go and kill the queen! You don't believe she should, do you?"

"No...of course I don't."

"Then you must see why I did that!" Hiroshi replied.

"No, I don't see! I could have handled Seisui myself. I could have stopped her! Why did you need to? If you hadn't done that, I still would have had the chance to teach her, to help her..."

"Usako, I'm not sure you could have taught her. Usako, seeing your mother in pain made Seisui smile. Your mother's pain was a feeling she relished. And I hate to say it, but her feelings toward you seemed to be the same way."

"I could have taught her not to be that way..."

"Usako, you're being completely irrational! Settle down! How can you teach Seisui anything if you don't think she'll ever listen to you? You're not making sense anymore. I--"

A hollow knocking interrupted him. Usako quickly grabbed a tissue from her desk and began fiddling with her face, trying vainly to wipe away her tears. Hiroshi stepped back toward the door and opened it just wide enough for himself to be seen.

"Hello, Hiroshi."

It was Setsuna; she wasn't transformed. Even when Sailor Pluto did venture out of the gate of time, it was usually in Sailor uniform so that she would be ready to protect the gate if the need arose. But her dark blazer and skirt told him that she was still out on business.

"Oh...hello. Is there something you wanted to say to Usako?"

"Well...to get to the point, I wanted to know if Usako might know where Seisui was."

"What do you mean?" Usako asked, pulling herself out of her chair. "She's on Nemesis, isn't she?"

"Lady Serenity..." Setsuna hesitated and glanced down the hallway. She didn't want to keep any secrets from Chibi-Usa... "Lady Serenity, a new enemy has appeared. There's a strange palace on Nemesis, and a huge influx of evil energy. And Seisui is gone."

"Gone?" Helios exclaimed. "Then that means--"

"Maybe. We aren't sure. It is possible, though unlikely, that Seisui could have escaped via Sailor Charon. Despite the unlikelihood, however, it is still worth looking into."

"Then...Seisui may have escaped?" Usako murmured.

"Maybe," Setsuna repeated.

There was a pause. Usako sat back down. Helios stood in the doorway. Setsuna continued to stare.

"Do you know where she might be, if she were on Earth again?" Setsuna asked.

"If I told you, you would capture her again," Usako said dully.

"Yes, I would."

"Then I won't."

"But Usako...now that Seisui can't stay on Nemesis, she might receive a fairer punishment," Helios replied. "They might just imprison her, or put her under house arrest..."

"Do you think I have any reason at all to trust the clemency of my father's judgment?" Usako shouted, turning toward Helios. "When has he ever shown Seisui any mercy? Any pity? Any understanding at all?"

"I think, Lady Serenity, that would be a lot to ask of your father. You know how much Usagi means to him," Setsuna told her.

"Well, then, you must realize how much it is to ask of me to tell you where Seisui could be!"

"But Lady," Setsuna replied. "Aren't you concerned for the welfare of your mother?"

"I'm concerned for Seisui's welfare too, Setsuna!"

Setsuna widened her eyes a little. Chibi-Usa always called her 'Puu...'

"I want to save Seisui. I'm 914. I want to be able to make my own decision about my own problems. And I decided that there was hope for Seisui. I decided that she isn't as hateful as she wants other people to believe she is. Seisui had so many chances to kill me! And even the worst of them didn't seem wholehearted. I was one of the only people that ever treated her with kindness, and I can't believe she would just forget that completely!"

"There is nothing I can do to make you talk, Lady Serenity, and therefore, I will leave. However, I am bound by the king's orders. I must find Seisui. Please take care of yourself, Small Lady."

"Wait!" Hiroshi interjected.

Setsuna stopped turning around and looked at him.

"Seisui has a friend...her name is Tokimo. I'm not sure what her last name is, but...it's an odd name. If you go to the school, they'll probably know who it is."

"Thank you, Hiroshi...though part of me wishes you had not told me," she said, shutting the door.

The room was bathed in shadow. The curtains were closed. It gave everything in the room a lonely gray light.

"Why did you do that?" Usako whispered.

"I want to protect you. I didn't want to tell Setsuna behind your back, and I'm afraid Seisui will hurt you..."

"Whatever happened to 'Usako needs to be independent', 'Usako isn't a child', 'let Usako take care of this'?"

"I'm afraid for your life. I want to protect you," he said sorrowfully.

"No, you don't!" she said, turning away from him. "You want someone else to protect me! If you had protected me, you would have done it. You would have shielded me and healed me and helped me tell Seisui she was wrong. But you didn't. You just told my father. It isn't you who's protecting me, Helios! It's my father! And don't you dare tell me otherwise!"

"Usako, I--"

"I just wanted to be like Mama. I wanted to protect someone, help them, make a brighter future. But I can't. 914 and I'm still 'too little.'"

"Usako, I just--"

"Go away, Helios. I'm too little of a person to forgive you right now. I can't even think straight anymore."

Helios stood there for a moment, a feeling of helplessness overcoming him. He walked out the door and closed it behind him.

Clasping his hands together, a thousand particles of light gathered toward him. He prayed; the light gathered together and drifted him away. He would go to Elysion, a paradise with no company.

* * *

"Hey, Yamiko."

"What do you want? I went to school like you asked me. I took my pills on time. I didn't study too much. I did well on my English test. What more do you want?"

"Movie night!" Sayoko shouted enthusiastically. "What a great way to spend the weekend! We can rent some special effects movies...hey, I can pull out my old smell simulator! We could rent one of those old cooking shows with the smell simulator..."

"Don't you think that's a bit cheesy? I can make food myself. And then I can actually eat it."

"Ah, come on. We can watch some old anime or something. 'Shy na Venus...'" she began to sing, flailing her arms around as if she were at a rave.

"I am not going to watch anime. Or cooking shows. I'm going to sit here and read."

"We could go shopping!"

Yamiko sighed.

Sayoko frowned. "Come on, Yami...please? You've been so...routine."

"First I stay home too much, now I'm too routine."

"A little shopping would do you some good. We could go to Shibuya and check out the freaks and goths!"

"Sayoko, please. Just let me read my book."

"Hamlet isn't very cheerful company, you know."

"No, but he's a lot more intelligent."

"Yeah, right. I don't let my girlfriends drown themselves."

"I should hope not, you're straight. At least, the last time I checked," Yamiko dully replied.

"Comr on, Yamiko, please go out with me? Please? You spend too much time inside."

Yamiko threw down her book. "Unless I go with you, you'll never shut up. Is that what you want me to say?"

"It works in the movies."

"Fine, fine, whatever. I'll go to Shibuya. You better buy me something."

Sayoko shrugged. "It's all our inheritance. Even if I buy it for you, you're kind of buying it for yourself."

Yamiko shook her head. "Whatever. Just...let's go."

* * *

"Excuse me, Ma'am...I'm looking for a girl named Seisui Han'i."

Tokimo's mother stepped outside and locked the door behind her. She did not like the look of this woman, so mechanically and perfectly clad in office lady attire.

"Seisui Han'i is a wanted criminal. She's not here."

"I will be the judge of that myself, ma'am. Please allow me to enter."

"I will not allow you to enter. This is my home. You have no business inside of it."

"I do, I assure you. And I will enter--by force, I'm afraid, if that becomes necessary."

"I thought that the royal family was supposed to be a representation of the proper, moral course," Mrs. Joshi replied.

"What is right is not always clear-cut, I'm afraid, and sometimes sacrifices are necessary for the safety of everyone. If I do not investigate the possibility that Seisui Han'i is within this home, she may hurt someone."

"Seisui Han'i is only thirteen! Show a little mercy! Think of what the child has been through! Moreover, how much damage can she do against people with such great power? Even with the powers she has, she was imprisoned on Nemesis, helpless and alone!"

"And yet, now she is gone from Nemesis. She almost killed the queen. She tried to kill Lady Serenity, as well."

"Listen. I don't care what you blue bloods think, but I think Seisui is a sweet girl with a kind heart. I don't pretend to know everything...but I think for Seisui to do something that drastic, she must have been driven to it by something else."

"Seisui may be kind. She may have been driven to her crimes. But she is still responsible for her own actions. This is my last warning. I do not wish to hurt you."

"What's the world coming to," she mumbled, moving aside.

"You're looking for me, right?"

Setsuna looked blankly down at Seisui. She was just standing there, looking up at her, angry and sad at the same time.

"Of course," Setsuna replied.

"I would have appreciated a week or two of freedom," Seisui said apathetically.

"I'm glad I found you on Earth," she told her. "The alternatives were far worse. But I'm surprised you didn't try to run away."

"It's useless..." Seisui mumbled, tears falling down her face. "It's...useless."

"It isn't useless. I'm sure you will be free someday. Try to be patient."

"Chaos compass!"

Setsuna turned around. There was no one there. Without time to transform, she summoned, at least, her staff. She could feel something tugging the fabric of time space...tugging, pulling, ripping...

Sailor Charon's naginata screeched across her staff--Setsuna had blocked it without a moment to spare. A few stray sparks flew into the air.

"I knew this wasn't like you," Setsuna said with sigh.

"Seisui," Sailor Charon shouted, "Run away!"

Despite her overwhelming surprise at Tokimo's attack, Seisui only paused for a moment before dashing toward the nearest room in the hope of reaching a window.

"There is no time left for the Moon Senshi," Setsuna told Sailor Charon as her naginata screamed against her staff once more. "Now there is a greater enemy! We cannot waste time with this useless battle!"

"The only enemy is the one that threatens my friends!" Sailor Charon said.

"There is no time..."

Setsuna stepped backwards and flung her staff toward Sailor Charon's fist. Her naginata fell out of her hand. Setsuna swung her staff around again and rammed Sailor Charon squarely in the stomach. She fell backwards onto the ground, clutching her stomach in pain.

"Sei..." she groaned.

Setsuna wasted no time. She ran into the room that Seisui had gone into, and, with difficulty, climbed through a conspicuously open window. Seisui had not gotten far. She could see her.

"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!" she cried, transforming as she ran. "I'm sorry, Seisui, but you don't leave me many choices.

"Dead scream."

Seisui fell. Sailor Pluto ran to where she had fallen and picked her up gently. She wasn't dead; her injuries were severe, but she could be healed. It may have been her power that kept her injuries from being fatal.

"There is no time..." she said sadly, looking down at the limp, puppet-like figure. "Poor dreamers. Your nightmares will not come to pass. Other nightmares, I'm afraid, will replace them."

* * *

"Hey, Yamiko, what do you think?"

It was a black vinyl tube top with rhinestone trim.

"Tacky and sleazy," Yamiko replied. "Just like everything else you wear."

"Hey, maybe you should try it on, Yamiko," Sayoko said cheerfully. "You like black, right?"

Yamiko turned back toward the dress she had been admiring. It was velour. Black, with long bell sleeves. She liked it, but everyone was wearing this dress. She had seen the goths in Harajuku wearing it before. If you wanted to look original, you had to make your own dress...

"You should wear something blue--to go with your eyes," a man told her as he approached.

Yamiko hated the sort of frivolous girls who were swept off their feet by some nameless, handsome mystery man. They'd be rescued from a speeding train or plane or tricycle, and suddenly--without logic or evaluation of said mystery man--they would be hopelessly in love. Girls like that made Yamiko want to puke.

That said, the person who spoke to her was the most attractive man she had ever seen.

Not that it said anything for his character, but his looks were nearly angelic. Platinum blonde hair. Pale skin. Dark eyes. As if to contrast the naturally cliché, saintly look of his face, he was wearing a dark, heavy trench coat of velvet.

"Who are you?" Yamiko asked skeptically. She dropped the sleeve of the dress, which she had been holding to admire the fabric.

"My name is Kane. I suppose I should have told you that before I made the comment about the dress. But you do have nice eyes, if you want to know."

"Don't flatter me," Yamiko said in annoyance. She began to walk toward Sayoko, who was pawing through some albums on the other side of the room.

"Bright blue eyes are kind of unusual," he said nonchalantly. "I wouldn't call it flattery."

"It doesn't matter what it is," Yamiko snapped. "I don't like it. So stop."

"I like your haircut, too. Very original."

"Go away."

"Why?"

"Because you're bothering me."

"Because I'm complimenting you?" he asked, a little perplexed.

"Because I want you to go away!" she retorted.

"But I think you're kind of interesting...I mean, at least you didn't fall into my arms and shout 'take me now!'"

"Look, if you don't stop, I'll tell the store manager to kick you out. My sister has some old friends who work here."

"What are you going to tell them? 'Excuse me, ma'am, this gentleman had the gall to say that I had nice eyes!'" He shook his head in disbelief. "I mean, it would be one thing if I was a creepy old man, but..."

Sayoko glanced upwards and noticed Yamiko with a really hot guy. She put back the album she had been looking at and walked toward her.

"Wow, Yamiko! Look at the pretty boy you picked up!"

"Sayoko!" Yamiko groaned.

"Are you her sister?" he asked, looking toward her.

"Yeah. Say, do you have any friends?" she replied.

"Not really," he responded. "I was telling your sister how she had nice eyes."

"Doesn't she?"

"Yeah, kind of a rare color. A little mysterious."

"But Yamiko isn't mysterious, you know. She's just very angsty."

"I think she's mysterious. She didn't fall into my arms and exclaim 'take me now!'" he disagreed.

"I'm not sure I would call that mysterious..." Sayoko said a bit doubtfully.

"Sayoko!" Yamiko exclaimed, stepping between her and Kane. "Can we go now? I'm not interested in this...person."

"Kane," he reminded her.

"Oh, Kane, is it?" Sayoko replied. He nodded.

Yamiko just shook her head and walked out.

"Ah, looks like I'm being left behind. Well, see you later, Kane! Tell your friends about me--the beautiful and sexy Sayoko!" Sayoko said, waving as she ran after Yamiko.

* * *

The pallid, frail body lay before the king.

"I brought Seisui, as you requested," Sailor Pluto told him. "I would have healed her, but I did not feel it appropriate to ask Chibi-Usa, and I was unable to find Helios."

"Helios has disappeared?" Endymion asked. "Has something happened to Elysion?"

"Not that I know of--but, as it is not part of the underworld, I have no jurisdiction on it. If something were to happen to Elysion, however, I am sure that Helios would let you know immediately."

"Still, it is odd...but thank you for bringing Seisui here."

"Your Majesty...I have a request to make," she said, looking down at Seisui.

"Yes?"

"Please allow Seisui to go free."

Endymion looked a little incredulous. "I realize what Seisui has been through, Setsuna, but still--"

"This has nothing to do with whether I believe Seisui deserves to be punished or not," she told him, observing the scratches around Seisui's closed eyes. "It's because I simply believe that is the only course of action. Now that the enemy has reawakened, Nemesis is no longer safe. Moreover, Seisui could be freed, along with her locket, as many times as we want to put her in prison. Sailor Charon shows no sign of giving up Seisui to us under any conditions.

"I can see what you're saying, but...we should at least have someone watching her. Seisui is dangerous. Even if we had to give up one of our number, I think--"

"Even if we sacrificed one of us to supervise Seisui--an ill-advised move at such a crucial time--it would only give Seisui an opportunity to try and kill whoever was supervising her. And sending multiple people to supervise her would be even more dangerous now that an enemy has appeared. I realize this is a lot to ask of you, your Majesty, but I think that it would be best for everyone. I recommend posting guards around the palace and leaving it at that. We can protect the Queen well enough once we know someone is in the palace."

"You're asking me to put the queen's life in danger, Pluto."

"The danger from the enemy is far greater than the danger from Seisui."

Endymion looked down at Seisui. Despite all of the cuts and gashes across her body, her mind was innocently sleeping. If he could keep that innocence forever...

"There is no hope, I suppose, for purifying Seisui," he said with a sigh.

"As I heard it, that would devastate the feelings of her Majesty."

"Very well, Pluto. I will follow your advice, as much as it pains me to do so. Please take Seisui to Chibi-Usa. She can heal her with the Pink Crystal. I'm sure she would be happy to do so. After that, please return to your post at the gate of time. I am sorry to keep you there so often, but with recent events, I did not feel safe leaving it open to attack."

"I understand, your Majesty," she said. Pluto looked up at him a little sadly. "And thank you."

With that, she gently picked up Seisui and carried her away.

* * *

Seisui woke up with a start.

Usako smiled. "You're awake," she said happily. Seisui gasped a little for breath and leaned forward, clutching the comforter on the bed.

"What, are you holding another trial already?" Seisui asked incredulously, standing up quickly and looking for a sharp object. She'd need something to defend herself...

"No...there isn't going to be one. Papa decided to let you go free."

"What, did he feel sorry for me?" Seisui asked, disgusted. Despite her efforts, there wasn't anything in the room which she could use to defend herself with. No matter--evidently, it wasn't necessary. She briefly debated trying to kill Usako--but for the time being, at least, she knew her cause had no hope.

"Unfortunately not...there just wasn't any feasible way to punish you. Not now that a new enemy has appeared."

"What, you mean the queen hasn't already destroyed the next demon spawn your shiny thing attracted?" she said scathingly.

Usako frowned. "I know you hate my mother because she purified your father, and I know you hate Diana because she destroyed your kingdom...but why do you hate me, too? Is the Pink Crystal? Is it because my crystal attracts Chaos?"

"You are yourself," Seisui said. She walked over to Usako's curtains and pulled them open with agonizing slowness. The light pooled on her face and went streaming around her, filling the room with its long-absent presence. "It runs in your blood and flows through your words. It shines in your eyes and burns in your heart. That disgustingness that is you. That disgustingness that is Luna. They make the same mistakes over and over. They can't possibly live up to the perfection they desire. But they keep trying to anyway. They keep trying to be something they aren't."

Seisui turned her face toward Usako, extinguishing the light on her face. "Why do I hate you? I couldn't tell you. I couldn't give you a real reason. I could give you a thousand reasons. But none of them would be quite right. None of them would say exactly how I feel. All I know is this. I look at my father, and all I see is you. That hateful family that floats in the sky and mocks me."

"Seisui...I'm not like the others. I won't do the things that Diana and Mama did!"

"No. You'll do something else. You'll find something else to do that is equally horrible. I've accepted it. I'm waiting for it to come. Someday, you too will do something horrible to me."

Seisui walked out. Usako stood behind and watched her leave.

* * *

"Congratulations!"

There was a lot of clapping and cheering as Tokimo's mother set down the cake, the words "You're Free" emblazoned enthusiastically across it in the sloppiest English handwriting imaginable.

Seisui sighed. "I'm free, but I'm back to square one. I wasn't able to get any of the things I wanted to accomplished."

"Sure you did. Now the Queen knows about Purification. There'll be some major reform! And it looks like the Queen is working on a bill for the poverty-stricken, too!" Tokimo's mother said, rubbing Seisui affectionately on the head.

That was good and all, Seisui thought, but it didn't make her father any less purified.

"If you even think about following in your father's footsteps again, Seisui--so help me--I'll lock you in your room for the rest of your life, if I have to!" Seisui's mother admonished her. Even though she said that, Seisui noticed, there was a smile creeping across her face. Both of the families had united together to celebrate the end of Seisui's charges. Even though Yamiko and Fubuki had been an immense help to their cause, Seisui was just as glad they hadn't come.

"This cake is great!" Tokimo's father said, turning toward his wife. "I didn't know you could make cakes so well!"

"I didn't make this cake," she replied happily, "I bought it from the grocery store."

"Well, whatever it is, it's good!" Tokimo's father replied.

"But still...don't you think we ought to home-school Seisui for awhile?" Ana turned toward her mother. "The bullies will be terrible..."

"I'll protect Seisui!" Tokimo cried, shaking her fist in the air. "I might not have been able to stop Sailor Pluto, but if a bully even tries to lay a finger on Seisui..."

"Now Tokimo, calm down a little and eat your cake," her mother told her.

"Seisui...do you want to go back to school right away...?" Ana asked, looking toward her.

"I've missed enough school as it is," Seisui responded. "I don't care if people bully me. I'll cope somehow. Besides, I have more friends at school with Tokimo than I do home alone."

"I suppose you have a point..." her mother replied with a sigh. "Well, I'll let you go. But if things get rough, I'll home school you for a while."

"Okay," Seisui agreed. "Don't worry. I'm sure things will be fine if Tokimo's around."

* * *

Kazeko's eyes eased open as the faintest hint of dawn cracked into her window. She got up immediately.

Today, she had to go to school.

Her foster parents had insisted that she start immediately, but Kazeko hated the idea. She had never been to school before. Her brother taught her everything she needed to know in the forest. The things she didn't need to know they taught her at home, so she could pass those tests the government sent out. Her Japanese was heavily accented and always sounded nervous. Everything she said sounded nervous now.

She told herself yesterday she'd go see the statues of the Tuatha De Dannann, but her father made her stay home. Other people worshipped them, too, but under the new names. It didn't matter what they called them. The pagans knew they had returned.

Kazeko gathered her school books and put them in her bag. She didn't feel like eating anything this morning. Her parents had already given her a new dress, some strange thing that seemed to be very popular around here. It looked a little like the uniforms that Tuatha De Dannann fought in. Kazeko thought this must be why it was popular, but she wasn't sure if she felt comfortable wearing the same things as the gods. She left the dress hanging on the hook and went out the door.

* * *

Why?

Why was everyone dressed exactly the same?

There were only a few people up this early, but they ran down the halls and giggled, or just stared. Or they whispered to their friends. Kazeko stood there, dressed neatly, quaintly, in a dark blue blouse and a green skirt. She had thought it perfectly acceptable for any public place, and yet, they found something so odd about it...

"Hey, look at that..." one murmured, snickering to the other.

"What is she trying to say?" a guy said to his friend. "She rich or something?"

1-3...That was her classroom...she opened the door a crack, peeking inside nervously.

"It's a little odd for you to be early, isn't it, Erik?" Tokimo asked, pulling out a pencil and haphazardly scribbling deformed teddy bears across her notebook.

"Not really," he replied. "It isn't odd for me to be anything. I was early all last week. The week before I was on time. The week before that I was late. Maybe tomorrow I'll get here after class and stay here until the next morning."

"What, are you gonna sleep on your desk?" Tokimo asked incredulously.

"Maybe."

Tokimo yawned. "Sei, why did we have to come here so early?"

"It's dangerous to walk to school during the normal time. There's more people around then," she said.

"But...I'm soooo sleeeeeppyyy..." Tokimo sunk down, her head resting on the desk. "Let's not do this anymore. I'll beat up an army if it means I can sleep in tomorrow."

"Uh--umm--excuse me..."

Erik turned toward the girl, unsurprised. "Kazeko?"

"Y-yes..."

"That can't be your real name...trying hard to assimilate?"

"Y-yes..."

"Looks like you had mixed results..." he said, motioning toward her clothing. Kazeko looked downward.

"Y-yes."

"Did they laugh at you?" Seisui asked, looking up at her.

Kazeko didn't respond. She clutched her hands together.

"Didn't your parents tell you we wore uniforms?" Tokimo asked. "Were they trying to make you look dumb?"

"I-I don't k-know...I don't...think so."

"It's okay. They keep spares in the office, right?" Seisui asked, looking toward Erik. Erik nodded. "I'll take her. She'll be fine."

"But...Seisui..." Erik said as she stood up, "Are you sure if it's a good idea for you to take her? Your pardon was just in the news this morning, and I'm not sure if--"

"If Seisui wants to take her, she can take her! And I'm coming, too!"

"Tokimo, Seisui will be conspicuous enough as it is. Even if you insist on Seisui going, I think it's best if you stay behind--for Kazeko's sake."

"But if Seisui goes without me, who knows what'll happen to her?" Tokimo objected angrily.

"Tokimo! I realize you're worried about your friend, but if you make a fuss over the first person that gives Seisui a malicious glance, you're going to cause more problems than you solve!"

"But what if someone tries to beat Seisui up? What then, huh?"

Erik paused for a moment. He sighed. "Fine. Do you think you can keep yourself quiet? And I mean it. Unless someone tries to punch Seisui in the face, I want you to be quiet."

"But--"

"Tokimo, I'm serious. This is for Seisui's sake. You can't fend off the whole school. From now on, you're going to have to choose your battles."

"Fine," Tokimo grunted. "You better be right. Or else!"

"Thank you," Erik replied, choosing to ignore Tokimo's excited threat.

Seisui sighed, walking slowly toward Kazeko and bowing. "My name is Seisui Han'i."

Kazeko looked down at Seisui awkwardly.

"Seisui..." Erik said, turning his chair toward her. Seisui stood up and faced him.

"Yes?"

"Do the poor thing a favor, and hold out your hand."

"Oh, uh...certainly." Seisui held out her hand and Kazeko took it a little weakly.

Kazeko almost fell back. There was immense power coming from this person! Festering, unhappy energy...it felt like something rotting and crawling and hissing, squirming in a deep, dark pool. But it wasn't Fomorii...

"I'm Kazeko Shirochize," she said, smiling weakly. What poor human walked around like this, with such a festering energy in their being? "Pleased to meet you."

They dropped hands and Kazeko breathed a sigh of relief. Erik looked toward her, a little puzzled, but didn't say anything.

"I'm Tokimo Joshi," Tokimo announced, standing up. "I'm Seisui's friend."

"Pleased to meet you, too," Kazeko said a little anxiously.

"Right. Now that that's over with, let's go!" Tokimo said, opening the door and walking outside.

"Remember to be quiet, Tokimo," Erik reminded her as Seisui and Kazeko followed.

* * *

When Kazeko left the classroom, the looking and whispering only increased.

"Hey, look. There's a strange girl with Han'i..."

"She isn't wearing a uniform...maybe Han'i's friends think they don't have to follow the rules...?"

"Grrr," Tokimo mumbled, clenching her fist. "Can't beat 'em up...can't beat 'em up..."

"T-They're talking about you, right?" Kazeko looked toward the faces that were staring at Seisui, looks of disgust on their faces. "Is it...my fault...?"

"No. It isn't your fault," Seisui darkly. She sighed. "I probably shouldn't have brought you, Kazeko. I'm surprised you haven't heard of me..."

"Heard what?"

"I--" Seisui paused for a moment and looked at the faces around her. "Nothing. Nothing."

When they entered the office, everything stopped immediately. All of the employees looked at her. The principal walked up to her, straightening his tie and looking nervously at the strange jewelry she wore on her bow.

"You realize, Han'i, that I must call the police."

"Nuh-uh!" Tokimo said complacently. "You can't do that. You can even call the palace, and they'll tell you--"

"What are you talking about?" The principal interjected. "There's no way--"

"It's true, Mr. Kanada," A secretary informed him, looking up from her computer and pulling back the input microphone. "Seisui has been pardoned. Haven't you heard?"

"There's no way I can let a dangerous criminal like this go to our school!" the principal said, his face flustered. "This is a public risk!"

"The law says you can't turn down someone's right to an education, sir," the secretary continued. "There's nothing we can do."

"Is your name Serenity?" Seisui asked quietly, looking up at him meekly.

"What kind of a question is that?" the principal asked.

"If it isn't, you're safe. Now, if you can get past the fact that I'm in school, my classmate left her uniform at home. Would it be too much to ask that she could borrow one?"

"I-I'm sorry," Kazeko stuttered. She wasn't sure what was going on. Was Seisui a criminal? Is that what she meant by 'shouldn't have brought you?' Did it have a connection to the energy crawling inside of Seisui? "I-I didn't know we had to wear uniforms."

"Kazeko, right?"

Kazeko nodded.

"Your parents were sent one. Didn't they give it to you?"

Kazeko paused. "Well, m-maybe, but--I didn't know--I'm sorry--I'm sorry--"

"It's all right," the secretary said, getting out of her chair. "We'll let your borrow one. I can handle this, Mr. Kanada."

The principal nodded and walked off.

"Come along, Kazeko. I'll bring you into the back. Would you mind waiting here, Ms. Han'i and--er--your friend?"

Seisui shook her head. Tokimo scowled and clenched her fists. The secretary glanced nervously toward Seisui as she gently led Kazeko to the back room, her hand placed comfortingly on the young girl's shoulder.

* * *

"Is Japanese hard?" The woman asked in English, her speech accented heavily.

"Yes," Kazeko replied timidly in English, "a little."

"Will it be easier if I keep speaking in English?"

"I think so," Kazeko said, looking downward.

"What is your size?"

"Err--medium," Kazeko stuttered.

"My English is not good," she told her, "but you need to know something. That girl you is talking to--Seisui Han'i--is criminal."

"W-w-what did she do?" Kazeko asked.

"She tried to kill Queen Serenity," the woman told her. "Two time. She is Sailor Soldier..."

"T-that girl?!" Kazeko asked, shocked.

"Yes."

"Seisui is one of the Tuatha De Dannann?"

"What is that?"

"N-nothing," Kazeko stuttered.

"She says she is Sailor Titan," she continued, "which, I think, is a moon of Saturn. That's what the newspapers say. There is liquid--strange liquid that she uses to try and kill people. Please stay away from her. She is dangerous. Okay?"

"O-okay," Kazeko muttered, deciding it best to agree with the woman. But the place of a Tuatha De Dannann--even if they represented death, war or famine--that was something to honor and respect. All parts of life were essential.

The woman handed Kazeko the uniform and placed her hand on Kazeko's shoulder again. The woman was filled with fear. Kazeko stepped out of the room and looked, in awe, toward Seisui--she was sitting in a chair, attracting the stares of everyone who came into work.

Was what the woman said true?

Was Seisui a god?

* * *

"Lady Serenity!" a shrill voice chimed. "Lady Serenity!"

Usako turned away from her commode and looked downward.

"Hello, Diana. What do you want?" she said dejectedly.

"Don't you think you should go to school?" she asked, jumping up onto the commode. "It's been a week! His Majesty is beginning to be very worried."

"School has already started, Diana. I'll go tomorrow, okay?"

"But Monday is the most important day of the week! If you go, you can still catch the rest of your classes. Please, Lady Serenity?" Diana placed a paw on Usako's hand and looked pleadingly up at her. Usako had trouble resisting the cuteness--even though Diana was grown up, she still looked like a kitten.

"Diana..." Usako sighed.

"Where has Hiroshi gone, Lady Serenity? Is that why you're not going to school today? You told his Majesty you would go to school today..."

Usako turned away from Diana.

"Lady Serenity!" she persisted, tapping her back with her paw. "Do you know where Lord Helios is?"

"Helios is in Elysion," she snapped. "What's so unexpected about that? It's where he lives, isn't it? He should be there now anyway, since the enemy is here."

Diana paused for moment and took her paw off Usako's back. "You got in a fight with Lord Helios, didn't you?"

"You don't have to call him Lord," Usako said with a sigh. "It sounds really silly."

"Didn't you?"

"Please, Diana. I don't want to talk about it."

"Your sailor warriors are worried about you, Lady Serenity. Please go back to school. I'm sure Lord Helios will come back. He must be very lonely without you."

"Diana..."

"I have tried very hard to give you some space, Lady Serenity, because I realized that you were very distressed. But...you can't stay like this forever. Even if you just have to keep up appearances for a while. I'm sure Lord Helios will come back and you two will make up. In the meantime..."

"Fine! I'll go to school. I'm sorry, Diana, but things just aren't the same anymore. I'm so lonely. Nobody understands..."

"That is not true, Lady Serenity! Seisui was pardoned. Even though Seisui is free to harm you, you have been allowed to go back to school. Therefore, your family must have some confidence in you!"

"Say, Diana...?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Seisui will ever be my friend again?"

"I don't know, Lady Serenity. But if it is possible, I'm sure you will accomplish it. Now get on your school uniform, or you will be even later!"

"Okay, fine."

"Thank you," Diana said, smiling and rubbing against Usako.

Usako grabbed her school uniform and put it on in a hurry. She didn't feel like doing her hair this morning, so it sat streaming around her face and falling everywhere. Seeing the inevitable impracticality of this, she grabbed a ribbon from her commode and tied her hair in a loose ponytail.

The glimmer of the clear glass bell caught her eye.

"You should bring it, Lady Serenity," Diana said happily. "If you encounter the enemy, you could certainly use Lord Helios' help. And afterwards, you may have an excuse to make up with him, right?"

"Jeez, Diana!" Usako said in annoyance. Nonetheless, she grabbed the little bell and tied it gingerly to her bag. "Let's hope you're right," she mumbled to herself. "There must be a solution to this, after all...I just wish you had more faith in me."

* * *

"U-SA-KO!"

Usako covered her ears as she prepared to hear a spiel from Haruko.

"You are sooooo late! Would it have killed you to go to school once in a while? The way you were holed up in that room by yourself, I thought you were were turning into a rabbit!" Haruko complained, shoving her face up close to Usako.

"Uh-huh!" Fuyuko chimed in happily. "Usako's rabbit hole!"

"But...where is Hiroshi? You two are usually glued at the hip..." Natsuko asked, looking down at her bag.

"Well, you know," Usako replied nervously. "Business. It's not safe to go walking around anymore, right?"

"That must be it," Akiko agreed. "She even has the bell on her bag. She wouldn't have the bell on her bag if it was really a fight, would she?"

"She might, if she was trying to hide the fact..." Haruko disagreed.

Fuyuko giggled. "We should call Hiroshi and find out!"

Usako clasped the bell protectively. "D-don't!"

"Hmm...definitely a fight," Natsuko said, nodding.

Haruko nodded. "Yeah, it's a fight."

"It's none of your business," Usako snapped.

"Hey, but...why do you think they got in a fight?" Akiko wondered.

"Hey, hey, Usako, why did you get in a fight?" Fuyuko asked, poking her shoulder. "Why? Why?"

Usako didn't reply.

"Why? Why?" Fuyuko continued, poking her in the cheeks.

"I said, it's none of your business!" Usako grabbed Fuyuko's hands and threw them away. "I don't want to talk about it. So just...leave me alone."

"Is it about Han'i?" Fuyuko asked.

"Why do you say that?" Haruko wondered. "Did you hear something?"

"I heard that Puu found Seisui at one of her friends' house. And I'm sure that Puu didn't know any of Seisui's friends. Usako would never give up where Seisui was, but Hiroshi is a little more equitable, so I thought--"

"There's nothing equitable about what Hiroshi did!" Usako snapped, repressing a sob. "He said he believed in me, and then he went and told Puu! I thought he had confidence in my abilities!"

"He does believe in you. He just wanted to protect you from Seisui. And besides, you got what you wanted in the end, anyway. That freak is walking around school again," Akiko said.

"Seisui isn't a freak. She's a human. She's human, and she hurts! And I wanted to be the one to save her."

The quartet turned toward each other, looks of skepticism across their faces.

"Well, I think you should show some gratitude for what Hiroshi did," Natsuko said with a sigh. "Even if you didn't like it, he did it because he loves you."

"I wish he'd love me a different way," Usako said dejectedly.

* * *

"What a stupid plan."

"Did I ask for you input, Coeus?"

"No," he said with a smirk. "So?"

"So why are you giving it?"

"Because it's a stupid plan."

"It isn't a stupid plan."

"Yes it is. You haven't made much progress yet, have you?"

"I haven't even done anything yet!"

"Exactly. Thus, a stupid plan."

"Look, blueberry, go make some diabolical plan or something. Or kiss ass. You're good at that."

"I don't kiss ass. I just have good plans, so I don't have to kiss ass. Unlike you."

"Who's in charge of Crystal Tokyo?" the man snapped, turning toward Coeus with a look of death.

"Mmmmmeyou."

"Right. Nemesis obviously sees something in me, if she put me on the most important front. Where are you, again? Tahiti? Guam?"

"Veeery funny. Actually, I'm in Australia."

"Oooh. Australia. What are you gonna do, fight the kangaroos?"

"At least I'm not like you. Then I'd be seducing the kangaroos."

"A broken heart yields a lot of kakon, Coeus."

"Whatever, Eros. Just remember, before you go down, you have to go up. And while you're wooing someone, you're making as much agathon as you are kakon. Moreover, I have some other issues with your brilliant plans. For one, they might be so disgusted with you afterwards that they'll just hate you and move on. And that doesn't yield a lot of kakon, now does it? Just a drop in the bucket."

"I choose my targets well. I know who's vulnerable," Eros snapped.

"You haven't made any progress so far. And as far as vulnerability goes, you don't seem to be doing too well."

"Just watch, asshole. You'll see," Eros said. He fell back into a nearby chair covered in smoky, wilted velvet. He picked up a tiny, tempera portrait from a black granite coffee table and examined the doll-like face upon it. It was painted delicately, as if to conceal any defects that the subject might have possessed.

Coeus laughed. "Of course. I'll enjoy watching you fail."

Coeus walked over to another chair nearby--wooden, splintered and withered looking. A strange, ghost-like woman was hanging limply in a chair, dressed beautifully in red and purple silk. Too bad she was dead. Coeus tapped her mockingly on the forehead. He laughed again. "Lady, silence is beautiful in women."

He waved his hand with sarcastic friendliness and walked out the door. Eros swore as Coeus entered the wretchedly lit corridor. It was lined with jeering corinthian columns, mocking faces carved in their myriad feathers.

_EPISODE TEN: FIN _

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE **

**Eros**: The heart is as a rose. It withers and dies.

**Yamiko**: Kane continues to pester me. Despite all my attempts to get him to leave, he shows an infuriating and continued interest in my existence.

**Helios**: I am summoned by need and love. But, Usako...take care of yourself...

**Usako**: The arguments of the past make way for heavier concerns. Reconciled for now, the future is given precedence.

**Fubuki**: Enemies? Why should I care? Still, if it means escape...

**Seisui**: The twisted demon of unhappiness chases me. My feelings squirm in anguish...

**Kazeko**: Even those gods that are evil have love within their hearts. Seisui, take courage from that.

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"A Rise And Fall In Time" _

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.


	11. Episode Eleven: A Rise and Fall in Time

"She looks a little lonely, doesn't she?" Seisui looked toward Kazeko; she could practically see Kazeko shaking. Kazeko hadn't even brought anything to eat, and she stared down at her feet as though they were the one thing that wasn't in danger of disappearing.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tokimo replied, walking toward her.

"Haven't we already put Kazeko in enough danger by talking to her to begin with?" Seisui shook her head. "I shouldn't have brought her to the office. Erik was right. She'll never hear the end of it."

"Oh, com'on Seisui! If we just leave her there, she'll be lonely. Sure, maybe people will make fun of her, but hey, at least she's not sitting there lookin' at her feet. I mean, her feet aren't gonna give her any conversation. At least..." Tokimo paused, a disturbed look crossing her face. "I hope not."

"You go on ahead, Tokimo. They don't hate you as much as me."

"I'm going, Seisui, and I'm not going alone!" Tokimo grabbed Seisui's hand and pulled her upward. Seisui sighed in resignation as she grabbed her lunch-box, half-heartedly following Tokimo's enthused gait. She shouldn't have mentioned Kazeko to begin with. Maybe Tokimo wouldn't have noticed her.

"Hey!" Tokimo shouted, approaching Kazeko. She was seated in the corner of a cement planter, still concentrating deeply. "Something wrong with your feet?"

"Huh...my...feet?" Kazeko replied, a look of confusion crossing her face.

"Yeah. You're looking down at your feet, like there's something there."

"N-no...I'm not...the ground. That's where I'm looking."

"Oh," Tokimo said. "The ground." Tokimo joined her for a moment, but seeing nothing there but grass, she decided that Kazeko must be especially bored.

"You don't have any lunch...want us to share?" Seisui held out her lunch. She blushed a little as she realized she was just sharing white rice, but rice, she reasoned, was better than nothing at all.

"N-no! That's all right. I'll be fine. I forgot to bring it...that's all. I'll bring some t-tomorrow."

"Com'on...you should eat something, anyway," Tokimo urged her, poking her gently in the shoulder. Kazeko cringed a little at her touch. "It's bad for you to starve."

"Just one day," Kazeko insisted. "I'll be fine."

"Please eat a little, Kazeko," Seisui asked sweetly, moving her lunch closer. "It's okay."

Kazeko looked at the lunch a little uncertainly. Kazeko wasn't sure if she should refuse a Tuatha De Dannann or not. Was it okay to eat their food?

Kazeko took the lunch box and looked guiltily down at it. "O-okay," She finally said.

Seisui and Tokimo sat down next to her; Tokimo handed Seisui a couple of sandwich slices to make up for her loss. Kazeko continued to stare down at the food, sticking the chopsticks clumsily in the rice and just sitting there, looking at them. Her guilty look seemed to turn to one of puzzlement. Tokimo and Seisui shared an odd glance.

"Go ahead," Seisui told her.

Kazeko looked back at her like a child lost in the woods. "How do I eat it?"

"Psst," Tokimo nudged Seisui, her voice a loud whisper. "I don't think she knows how to use chopsticks."

"Oh!" Seisui blushed. "Umm...I think I have a fork in my lunchbox set..." Seisui grabbed a plastic case out of her lunch box and pulled out a tiny plastic fork. "Here."

Kazeko took the fork gently, her hand trembling.

"Are you okay?" Seisui asked. "Is something wrong...?"

_"She tried to kill Queen Serenity," the woman told her. "Two time. She is Sailor Soldier..."_

"Who...are you...?" Kazeko murmured as she took the fork.

"Huh?" Tokimo looked incredulous. "What do you mean--"

The sound of half-mad shrieking interrupted her. A group of students were quickly clumping together around the screams; teachers soon joined the mass, sending the students scattering with words of admonishment.

"What's going on?" Seisui asked, getting up and craning her head to see.

"Someone call the hospital!" a teacher shouted. "This woman needs help!"

Several students fled to the door; others, still intrigued by the spectacle, stood by close enough to see and far enough to escape admonishment.

"I'm going to check it out," Tokimo told them.

"Wait a second Tokimo! This isn't any of our--"

She was gone before Seisui finished.

* * *

suki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Eleven:

"A Rise And Fall In Time"

* * *

"Hey, what happened here?" Tokimo asked. A teacher was kneeling by the woman's limp figure; as Tokimo leaned down toward her, she could see the sweat bead like dew on the teacher's forehead.

"What are you doing here?" the teacher told her urgently. "We can't have students here. This woman needs help, not a squad of high schoolers making a ring around her body!"

"Jeeez! Chill out. I thought I could help. I mean, shouldn't we find someone who knows--"

Tokimo mouth froze as the pale, limp woman sprung into life. The teacher let out an abrupt scream as two lily hands clenched around her throat; a "crick" sound accompanied the wringing of her neck, a brief snap like the slaughter of a fowl. The pale woman laughed like falling chains as the teacher flopped to the ground.

Tokimo looked nervously down at the now-conscious woman. She was dressed flagrantly; her dress was pinstriped and purple, with a gold-trimmed jumper. The thin veil hanging over her face seemed a bizarre contrast to her loud appearance. The female teacher's eyes, which had never closed, became vacant and dull as a dark smog gravitated and spun around the woman's hands.

Tokimo stood up only seconds before the awakened woman. The pallid woman put her smoke-ringed hands together and stretched out the smog like a wad of gum, pulling it into a string that turned a bright, cheerful red.

Tokimo backed away. "What the hell...?"

The woman smirked. She jumped off the ground and floated there, frozen in time.

Then she flew forward, her dress unfurling behind her. The string was taunt in her hands as she lunged toward Tokimo.

"Goodnight, fell creature," she told Tokimo. Tokimo's eyes widened as she hit the ground to avoid her attacker. The demon flew past.

"What the hell is going on?" Tokimo shouted in exasperation. "Who's the crazy lady?"

Seisui paused for a moment. Nemesis...oh, god, what monster had been unleashed by her banishment?

"Charon prism power!" Tokimo shouted, her figure blurring as she transformed.

"S-s-seisui!" Kazeko put her hand on Seisui's shoulder, a look of fear and wonder on her face. "This is Fomorii! B-be careful! They're--"

"Kazeko, you need to run away! Don't worry about me!" Seisui gently pushed her hand off her shoulder and raised her hand above her head. What did it matter, if she was seen now? Everyone knew the truth, save perhaps Kazeko, and she would find out eventually. "Titan prism power, make up!"

Kazeko watched Seisui as the rest of the school fled in panic; she had to know the truth about Seisui and her power.

Sailor Titan didn't waste any time.

"Black stream death!" Curls of black, viscous liquid wrapped around the woman's porcelain neck. She fell on her knees, trying to grab the slimy rope as it moved between her hands like water, falling into the cracks and materializing through the other side.

"Who are you?" Sailor Titan asked, looking down at her.

"Thisby," she said with difficulty, "the most beautiful woman in the world..."

"If you're the most beautiful woman," Titan continued, "why is your face hidden?"

"This face," she rasped, continuing to claw at the ooze, "is only for my love..."

"Your love?" Seisui asked incredulously. "Who is that?"

A clinking laugher rose. "That is not you."

Titan's shrill scream ripped the air as she fell suddenly backwards. She could feel a thin wire cutting into her ankles. Looking upward, she could see her Black Water unravel into her fingers as Thisby held the end of the string that tied her ankles together. The slack end of the string that hung from Thisby's other hand became suddenly stiff; It hung like a knitting needle on the end of a thread, swaying gently in her hands like a pendulum. She threw it up into the air and grabbed it with a fist, pointing it toward Titan like a dagger.

"Space-time blast!"

The crackling energy soon surrounded the woman. Her hands shook as the pointed thread slid through her now-sweating palms, becoming limp as it fell to the ground. Her stomach heaved unwillingly as she covered her face; blood oozed through her fingers.

"Hurry up!" Titan screamed, turning toward Charon. "My legs! My legs are still--"

"B-be quiet, please!" Kazeko whispered. Sailor Titan turned her head; Kazeko was kneeling on the ground next to her, her skirt covered in dirt. She held a small knife in her hand; she was working through the string, tearing ferociously through the stubborn wire.

"Kazeko, you have to get out of here! You don't have any way of defending yourself!"

"I am n-nothing..." Kazeko murmured. "Do not f-fear for me."

Sailor Titan breathed a sigh of relief as she heard a dull "snap" and the numbing pain loosen from her ankles. She stood up; looking down at her boots, she could see a rather unsightly tear in a ring around them, the blood seeping slowly into the cloth.

"We have to get out of here--come on!" Titan grabbed Kazeko's wrist and pulled her back from Thisby. Glancing backward, Titan could see Charon's bubble of energy slowly fading as Thisby pulled her hand away from her face and shakily made her way toward her broken string. As the distorted shield drifted apart, she clenched the two halves of her broken string together. The smog floated outwards once more and bridged the gap; she stood up again, her knees quaking slightly.

Sailor Charon cringed. The slight of her blood-stained veil and hand was pretty gross. What kind of weirdo puked up blood, anyway?

Charon clenched onto her Naginata, hoping to hit a soft spot if Thisby lunged again. The youma lifted her string and pulled it across her hands, smoothing it between her fingers.

Then Thisby turned around.

"Well...look at this," she said mockingly.

The Crimson Eagle stood before her. His Katana was clenched in his hands. He said nothing.

"The Crimson Eagle, is it?" she said mockingly. "Is that what you call yourself?"

"Yes," He said flatly. "Now leave."

"Leave where?"

"Here. Earth. The universe. Or if you don't leave, kindly cease this killing."

She smirked. "I can leave," she told him, "But you have to come with me."

He dropped his Katana. "Very well."

The smog closed around them and they disappeared.

* * *

"What the fuck?" Fubuki walked over toward the reddish patch on the ground, examining the spot where the Crimson Eagle and Thisby had disappeared. "That made a whole shitload of sense."

"So you hung around too, huh?" Charon turned toward Fubuki. "Thanks for the help."

"You two losers seemed to have things under control," Fubuki said with a shrug. "You and your little friend."

Kazeko backed a little farther away.

"What happened to the Crimson Eagle?" Yamiko walked toward the teacher, cringing slightly. Her head was cranked unnaturally at a 45 degree angle. Sailor Pinkmoon soon joined Yamiko; she, along with the Sailor Quartet, had not transformed fast enough to take part in the brief fray.

"Can you save her?" Sailor Ceres turned toward Pinkmoon, who was clutching the Pink Crystal between her hands.

"I think so," she replied, holding the crystal protectively to her chest, "but it will take a lot of energy. I don't want to do it if the youma might return right away. She might just be killed again."

"You two should transform," Sailor Charon warned Yamiko and Fubuki, sweeping her hand in their direction. "Me and Titan are gonna need your help! That nutter bar could come back!"

"The fuck? Why should I help you? It's none of my fucking business." Fubuki sat down on the edge of a raised flower bed, her coat scraping roughly against the glittering concrete. "I always hated that teacher, anyway."

"Disgusting," Sailor Vesta said with a cringe.

"You could get killed too, Fubuki," Titan reminded her. "It might be in your own best interest."

Fubuki shrugged. "I'll transform if I think she's coming back."

"What about you, Yamiko?" Titan turned toward her. "Will you fight?"

Yamiko backed away from the dead teacher. "I...don't know. I don't know." She shivered slightly. Her forehead felt damp.

"Still, it must really bite. I mean, you guys can't really leave until you know what happened to the fuckin' psycho, so you just have to sit here and jack off. At least you don't have to go to class..."

Kazeko slowly walked toward where the Youma and the Crimson Eagle disappeared, clutching her three-pointed pendant as though it anchored her to the ground. She knelt down and laid on palm on the ground; the grass stuck through the cracks between her fingers.

"What the hell are you doing?" Fubuki asked, looking skeptical.

"Talking," Kazeko told her bluntly. Fubuki opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it. That was just too fucked up to answer.

Kazeko could hear the grass screaming. She cringed as she felt deeping sense of dread and a heavy tugging below her palm. This was undoubtably Fomorii, and something was sucking the air into the netherworld...

"What are you doing, Kazeko?"

Kazeko looked up suddenly; the energy melted away from her. It was Sailor Titan.

"The Fomorii's energies are still here," she told her. "But she's in a portal above here; a sort of entrance to the netherworld." Kazeko turned back to the grass. "The grass will be dead before nightfall. Maybe even the tree..."

"Did you hear that, Charon?" Titan turned around toward her; Charon readied her Naginata for combat.

"Uh-huh. You two might wanna transform, too," Charon warned them. She motioned her Naginata a little threateningly toward Fubuki; Fubuki just shrugged and chewed on her lip.

"How do you know all of this?" Yamiko watched as Kazeko backed away from the grass again. "You're not one of the Sailor Senshi, are you?"

Kazeko blushed a little. "N-n-no! I'm not Dannann."

"Leave her alone," Titan warned Yamiko. "It's none of our business."

"She just told us all this weird stuff--all she did was touch the ground! don't you think that's a little odd? Normal people can't do that, you know! How do you know she wasn't making it up?" Yamiko looked angrily at Titan.

"I-I-I l-learned it," Kazeko interrupted.

"Kazeko...how did you know about the youma? And what was that word you used--Fomouli?" Titan asked.

"Fomorii..." Kazeko repeated. "I...I..."

_I have to run away._

_No one must know._

_I must find a place where no one will ever find me--_

"I don't know--" she stuttered, clasping her necklace even tighter. She could feel the sweat gather in the wrinkles of her palms. "I-I-I don't k-know."

"It's okay, Titan," Charon said authoritatively. "I trust Kazeko. Besides, the Shinto priestesses can use powers of intuition. And what about those crazy pet psychics on TV? I bet Kazeko's like a pet psychic!"

Yamiko sighed. "I don't think this is quite the same as--"

"Hey Kazeko, if you can talk to pets, maybe you can figure out what's wrong with Yamiko! Wouldn't that be great?"

"Anyway," Titan interrupted, "It's probably better if we wait here. Charon and I can't keep you two here, but what goes around comes around."

"What about fuckin' Barbie over there?" Fubuki motioned toward Sailor Pinkmoon. "She gonna help you? You gonna be pussies together?"

Titan narrowed her eyes.

"We'll deal with Usako later," Charon said authoritatively. "After we kill the youma."

Sailor Titan looked tentatively toward Pinkmoon. She smiled; a puppy that returns after you kick it. Certainly, she had a chance before the youma returned...but that would mean the death of the teacher.

No, she thought. Better to wait until after the fight--when Usako was weakened.

* * *

Darkness closed around him.

"Where is this?" He exclaimed. There was darkness on every side; below him, above him, everywhere.

"Nowhere of importance," Thisby replied, appearing in front of him. "So, essentially, nowhere at all."

"Are you dead?" he asked. "I agreed to your terms so that you might cease fighting."

"Neither of us are dead," she told him, straightening the veil around her head and clawing irritably at the blood stains. "I've merely brought us somewhere else."

"Forever, then?"

Thisby laughed. "Forever? What a waste of time. I can't die here; I have someone to return to."

"That wasn't our deal!" he shouted, holding up a fist. "You said you would leave!"

"I said I would leave," she said coyly, ruffling her skirt. "I didn't say I wouldn't return."

The Crimson Eagle lunged toward her, his fist toward her face. Thisby pulled her red string from the empty space around them and wrapped it nonchalantly around his hands.

"It's your own fault," she shrugged. "You should have been paying attention."

"I should have known better than to accept the word of a monster!" he snapped, struggling with the string.

"A monster?" Thisby repeated in disgust. "My name is Thisby. And I'm a woman!"

"You're dead. You're reanimated flesh!"

"I am not! Pale skin is a sign of elegance!"

"Even if you're not a monster, you're still a puppet. What demon are you taking orders from? Who is it this time, the new child of Chaos?"

"I am no puppet," she snapped, pulling the string that held his wrists together. A thin line of blood appeared where they held him, cutting through his leather gloves. "And my master is not a demon, nor is he a child!"

"Whoever he is, he has you right where he wants you. Do you think he'll care if you're dead tomorrow?"

Thisby pulled the string again, and blood dripped from the Crimson Eagle's wrists. The floor absorbed it slowly, like a sponge.

"He loves me," Thisby hissed. "He loves me."

The Crimson Eagle did not reply this time.

"This is about you, understand?" she spat. "Not me. I want to talk about you."

"There's nothing to talk about," the Crimson Eagle said.

"Oh really? Well, how about your mother?" She drew her face close to his mask. Erik could still discern the acrid scent of regurgitated blood.

"What about my mother?" He said it slowly, as though he were talking to a child. "She bore me. What of it?"

"Is that really all?"

"Why does it matter? She was my mother. She took care of me. I loved her."

"Did you always listen to your mother? Were you a good child?"

"Shut up!" he hissed. He dove forward, hauling his weight into her stomach. She fell to the ground, the string sliding out of her hands as it tightened a little more around the Crimson Eagle's wrists. "My mother is my mother! She loved me, I was a good child. This matter has no import!"

Thisby got up shakily, straightening her veil. "You were a good child, Erik, but not a good Knight. You killed the Moon Senshi."

"Erik?" the Crimson Eagle repeated. "I've heard this name before. But I'm not Erik. Erik is someone else, someone who was once confused for me."

"Yes, Erik, Erik is the Crimson Eagle, and Erik is a bad knight--and an even worse councilor!"

"What are you talking about? I was never a councilor!"

"You weren't but you were, weren't you? After all, you are Erik vonDarkmoor!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" The Crimson Eagle moved toward her, hoping to slam her into the floor.

Thibsy grabbed his shoulder armor in her hands--still holding onto the string--and held it there, holding him back as he struggled to move forward. The Crimson Eagle jerked backwards and threw her hand aside.

"So typical," she told him, backing away slightly. "The Crimson Eagle can handle one tragic past, but two--two is two too many!"

She laughed mockingly, the string unraveling off of his wrists and returning to her hand.

"I only have one past!" he shouted. He ran toward her, his fist aimed for her face; she grabbed onto it and pulled him toward her, sending him onto the ground. Before he could stand, the string was wrapped around him again--this time, it was around his arms and torso. Thisby pulled it tightly; he cringed.

"You lie." she whispered hoarsely. "You have two pasts. But each part of you has forgotten the other. Erik vonDarkmoor."

"I'm not Erik vonDarkmoor!"

"It was a lovely funeral, wasn't it? I especially liked the auction afterward."

_"What are you doing?!"_

_"Paying off your parents' debt, of course. It was such a tragedy...I wanted to give you their things, but it has to be paid..." his face had a look of profound regret. Erik scowled._

_"My parents never had a debt! These are my things! My memories!"_

_"Why Erik...these are only things, as you say. Your memories of your parents are in your heart, of course," he said, his voice consoling. "It's too bad their things will have to be sold, but--"_

_"Where is my music box?"_

_"It's in the auction, with everything else."_

_"That was my mother's! Give it back, you bastard!" _

_The audience had stared at him. A few onlookers backed away nervously._

_"Erik! The inheritance of your family must go! The debts have to be paid!" _

_Erik threw him to the ground._

_"You liar!" he screamed. "My mother's brother, and this! You demon!" _

"What?" the Crimson Eagle put his hands on his mask. Cold Iron... "What is...?"

_"I've heard that the vonDarkmoor family is peddling fast lead."_

_"The newspapers are giving 'em some serious shit for that one..."_

"That's a lie..." he murmured, clinging onto his mask. "It's a lie..."

_"Erik, stop this useless fighting...People are happier now than they used to be. There's no death, no wars..." His mother stared at him from the other end of the table. It was a silent supper._

_"People are suffering, mother! I can't stand back when people are suffering."_

"Mother...?" Erik cringed as the black mask thudded softly onto the floor of a floorless void. He stared down in wonder. Usually the mask would disappear, but it remained.

_"Arutha..." Tears fell down her face. "Arutha, don't do this. This isn't necessary. The code is useless..."_

_"I am a Knight. Those men who have sailor crystals must uphold their code." _

_"There are no answers to this problem, Arutha! You won't find anything..."_

_"I am the Crimson Eagle. I have to go now. I will find answers."_

"You couldn't find any answers, Arutha." Thisby smiled.

"What...?" He looked down at the mask.

Thisby smiled. A silver fountain came streaming out of the murky floor; it dripped and spun and spiraled into a disk. Erik could see a man in the reflection of the disk--a sweeping cloak, dark armor, an iron mask.

_"What are you afraid of? Of me? Of course...you would want to forget, wouldn't you...?"_

Erik's heart froze as he looked at his reflection.

* * *

"Hey, I just had a thought," Yamiko said suddenly.

"What?" Natsuko asked.

"If Kazeko can tell that the youma can make some kind of weird, alternate space, might she be able to get rid of it? Or at least get you inside of it?"

"Why the fuck do you care? You're the one chickening out in the corner there." Fubuki smirked.

Yamiko glared. "I'm not chickening out. It's too early to make reckless decisions. What if that youma were only a woman who was possessed?"

"From the way she's clothed and the bizarre circumstances of her appearance, my guess is that she's not a normal human that's been possessed," Haruko told her. "Youma don't usually bother dressing up before they attack if they've taken over someone's body."

"Regardless, it's more important to figure out what happened to Thisby and the Crimson Eagle," Sailor Titan reminded them.

"Since when do you care about that fucker?" Fubuki asked.

"I'm not really interested in killing anyone but the royal family Why should I let innocent people die?"

Sailor Pinkmoon put a forceful hand on Vesta's arm as she heard Titan's words. Vesta began to move forward, ready to attack.

"So, Kaze," Charon asked, turning toward her, "Can you open up the weirdo dimension thing?"

"No," Kazeko repiled. "I can't. Since the portal is composed of negative energies, you might be able to reverse the magic by infusing the area with the same amount of positive energies, but the amount--"

"Twinkle yell!"

The Sailor Quartet looked more than a little shocked as Sailor Pinkmoon held the glass bell above her head.

A blaze of blinding light appeared. The blurry form of Helios appeared against the glowing brightness; his cheeks were scarlet, his hands clasped. As the light disappeared, he looked mournfully up at Pinkmoon.

"You called me?" His hands spread apart and he stood; Sailor Pinkmoon looked away.

"I'm sorry, Helios," she murmured. "I didn't mean to...I just...I know you were worried about me, but I--"

"It's okay," he said, hugging her. "I shouldn't have betrayed your trust like that."

"Helios..." she whimpered, hugging him back. "I'm so sorry..."

"This is so fuckin' pathetic," Fubuki swore. "I think I'm gonna retch."

Helios shot a glare at Fubuki but decided not to press the matter. He could see patch of wilted grass and the limp figure of a woman; signs of a fight. "What's going on? It looks like you're been fighting, but there's no one here."

"It's terrible, Helios..." Pinkmoon turned and stared at the teacher's limp figure. "A youma appeared."

Helios looked a little shocked. "Is it from Nemesis?"

"We don't know," Pinkmoon replied. "It was some kind of odd woman. The Crimson Eagle appeared, told her to leave, and she did--and brought him with her."

"Yeah. And according to the amazing plant psychic Kazeko, the way to get him back is to, er, add lots of positive energy," Charon said.

"Where the grass is wilted, there's supposed to be an alternate space. That's where the Crimson Eagle is. Supposedly, if you add enough positive energy, it could neutralize the field...at least, that's what Kazeko told us," Pinkmoon explained, motioning toward Kazeko.

"Kazeko?" Helios repeated. "Who are you?"

Kazeko backed away awkwardly.

"Don't ask her that," Titan warned him. "She's had enough questions."

"Won't you try praying, Helios?" Pinkmoon asked him. "It could make a difference."

"I suppose we haven't got anything to lose." Helios kneeled down by the wilted patch. He clasped his hands together and spoke strange words; as he did so, light gathered in front of him and spiraled into the wilting patch of grass.

Soon the grass was displaced by a pool of brilliant light; slowly, a small black oval drew out of the pool, expanding like a balloon. The light drew itself into the oval, and the darkness turned a murky gray.

"Ah, fuck," Fubuki hissed. "I better transform. Miranda prism power, make up!" She held her hand above her head and transformed in a flurry of snow.

Helios could feel himself weakening as the light began to burst through the sphere, leaving pinpoints all over its surface. Soon the light expanded further; Helios squinted his eyes in pain.

And then, it burst outwards.

* * *

The disk of silver shattered without warning; Erik had a sense of himself once more.

The darkness around him was sinking into a pool of light. The murky floor was turning biege; the biege flowed to an intense white. Thisby pulled her string back in and tried to summon her smog once more, but the light overwhelmed her and her smog vanished.

Soon the entire room he had entered was overwhelmed by the intense whiteness. Tiny cracks like antique china covered the room, and soon, it shattered.

The schoolyard appeared; a man, clothed in white, stared at him for a moment before collapsing on the ground, his robes fluttering behind him. Erik turned; Thisby was kneeling on the ground, staring viciously at the prostrate form of the man.

"Arctic blades!" Miranda screamed.

Thisby's eyes widened as the sparkling disks flew toward her. She lifted one leg up to run, but before she could react, the blades cut her straight in two, grotesquely spraying blood over the grass, Erik's face, and the body of the teacher nearby.

"Yummy," Miranda smirked. Titan cringed; the Sailor Quartet held firmly onto Sailor Pinkmoon, who appeared in danger of fainting.

Mercifully, the body soon evaporated away into red mist. As the last of her disappeared, a small, light-colored square thudded onto the quickly recovering grass.

Erik put a hand on his head. A dull thudding resounded through his skull; he could not remember a more painful headache. He walked over to the small square and, picking it up, realized it was a painting in miniature. It was a picture of the woman who had taunted him in the darkness, but she was smiling brightly, healthy and full of color.

"What is it?" Titan asked, walking toward him. "Let me see."

Erik handed her the portrait. Sailor Titan looked at it quizzically for a moment. "That's odd," she mumbled.

"Erik," Sailor Charon shouted, pointing squarely at his face. "There's no more hiding it! We know you're the Crimson Eagle!"

Erik took his hand off his throbbing head. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, cringing. "I don't know who the Crimson Eagle is." Yes you do, some part of him screamed. You know. You know you're the Crimson Eagle.

"No I don't! I don't know who the Crimson Eagle is!" he said aloud, returning his hand to his forehead.

"Wow," Sailor Charon replied. "You answered my question twice. Once would have been okay, though..."

"Who are you kidding, Erik?" Akiko stepped forward, raising an eyebrow. "The Crimson Eagle disappears. You appear. You're both tall and imposing. And we know that the Crimson Eagle can't be too far away, since he appears on time whenever something goes wrong. You're the Crimson Eagle, and we all know it."

"I don't know," he repeated. "I don't remember. I don't feel well."

_Of course...you would want to forget, wouldn't you...?_

"I think I'd better go home," he murmured, walking away.

"Hey!" Charon shouted after him. "If you're the Crimson Eagle, we gotta talk! Y'know, Senshi stuff!"

"Just drop it," he shouted back at her. "I don't even know myself yet."

Kazeko jumped a little. She turned to the sky above her. There was a falcon flying overhead.

Why was there a falcon in the middle of the city?

* * *

"Sailor Pinkmoon," Helios said gently, "you should heal that woman."

Salior Pinkmoon nodded and held her crystal above her head. "Moon healing escalation!" A pink glow permeated around the teacher's body; she groaned in pain as she forced herself upwards. Sailor Pinkmoon smiled.

"You're safe now," she assured her. The woman looked back in confusion; seeing Sailor Titan, her look turned to one of fear and disgust. She stood up and sped toward the doors to the school. As she pulled open doors, they screamed on their hinges and flew open behind her. In a moment, she was gone.

Sailor Titan put the small portrait away and turned toward Charon.

"Now's our chance!" she shouted, motioning toward Usako. "Black stream death!"

"Amazoness jungle arrow!" the Sailor Quartet screamed.

A twirling vortex of vines and black water collided; they consumed each other, deteriorating into nothingness. Sailor Titan swore. Sailor Charon held her naginata up to attack, and moved hesitantly toward Sailor Pinkmoon

"Please don't fight," Helios pleaded. "Now that an enemy has appeared, we can't afford to waste our energy on each other!"

Sailor Charon paused.

"If you kill Sailor Pinkmoon," Sailor Ceres warned Charon, "and a Youma kills someone again, there will be no one to save them. They'll die."

Sailor Charon turned to Sailor Titan, whose look urged her forward. "Sailor Moon destroys more lives than she saves," Sailor Titan said, pointing toward her accusingly. "If Diana is resurrected, we'll have her to deal with her as well as youma!"

Sailor Charon thought for a moment. If Diana was resurrected, it would mean a second death for all of the Moon Senshi. But if Sailor Pinkmoon were killed, it could mean the death of everyone, as well. There was only one choice that Charon could see; let Sailor Pinkmoon live for now. Kill her when Nemesis was gotten rid of. They would just have to hope that Pinkmoon wasn't crazy enough to have a kid in the meantime. But Seisui...Seisui had wanted this so badly. It was too hard ask her to do this. But surely she would understand...

"We can't, Titan," Charon looked more than a little guilty, and even sorrier. "We can't. If another youma attacks, someone could die. We'll just have to kill her after we defeat Nemesis."

Titan paused for a moment. A look of complete betrayal covered her face. "We've come so far!" she told Charon. "You can't do this now! We're so close! Are you going to let all the times we fought together go to waste? Are you going to let my father have been purified for nothing? Are you going to let my near purification go?" Tears began to swell in Titan's eyes. "Don't tell me you're going back on me now, Tokimo...!"

An overwhelming sense of guilt filled Charon as Sailor Titan called her real name.

_"It's okay, Seisui," Tokimo said cheerfully, "I don't care if your father didn't like the Queen. From what I've heard about Queen Diana, my respect for the royal family's gone down a lot, anyway. He probably had his reasons for criticizing her. Your father was on the council, after all; he probably knew what he was talking about."_

_"Let go of Seisui!" Or I'll kick your ass, Tokimo-style!"_

_"I can't stand people who just sit back and let others suffer. So don't thank me. Helping you out was only the natural thing to do."_

_"Don't be scared when you get to school," Tokimo reassured Seisui. "If anyone says anything, I'll beat 'em all up! The whole school, if I have to! Even Erik!" _

_"It's never all over. I'll still be your friend, no matter what!"_

"No matter what..." Sailor Charon stuttered, "still friends, right? Even if we have to give up on your father for a while?"

"Tokimo..." Tears rolled down Sailor Titan's face. Her transformation dissolved around her. "We aren't going to give up now, are we? We're not going to give up, are we?"

"No!" Charon responded. "We aren't! We're just...backing off. For a while."

"Tokimo..." Seisui cringed. "I thought you'd never back down. You were the one who always told me to keep going--even when everyone else told me I was a murderer, a freak, a monster! When I was being beaten or treated like crap, you were there for me. You saved me on Nemesis! We can't give up now, can we? You can't do this to me, Tokimo...!"

Charon closed her eyes. She wasn't going to cry..."We're not giving up, Seisui! We just can't let innocent people get killed. It's not right!"

Seisui repressed a sob. "Innocent people? My father was innocent! My father was the one who was wrongfully killed! What about that innocent person, Tokimo!"

"The youma could kill many more people than the queen purified," Charon argued. "Seisui, think about this! Are you willing to kill Usako at the expense of the lives of people who aren't even involved?"

Seisui looked down at the ground. "I don't know..." she murmured, turning around. "I don't know!"

Seisui ran away.

Charon could feel a sob racking her lungs as her uniform dissolved.

* * *

Seisui looked down at the pavement. She had run blocks and blocks, and she was still crying.

Why did everything have to turn out this way?

She knew she could rationalize Tokimo's decision. "Don't let innocent people die." She supposed that it made sense. She should forgive her.

Still, she couldn't help feeling pretty awful about it.

Tokimo would probably call her tonight. Maybe sooner. Tokimo, she knew, cared too much about her to let it end this quickly.

"Father..." Seisui mumbled. She had found her only friend trying to save her father. She had regained her self-confidence through trying to save her father. She had awakened Nemesis by trying to save her father.

She might lose a friend because of her father, too.

If it had been Fubuki or Tokimo or Yamiko's father, would they have reacted the same way? Harbor such a hatred? Or would they blame their father, who had been stupid enough to oppose such a power? Would they like the Queen? Would they be happy that his life was spared?

A meaningless life, without caring. Seisui still missed him. Maybe she was crazy. Maybe she didn't care.

"Sei-Seisui? It's Seisui, right?"

Seisui turned around. It was Kazeko.

"Yeah..." Seisui replied dreamily. "That's my name."

"Can you show me to the temple?" she asked quietly. "I've always wanted to see the statues."

"Did you follow me?" Seisui asked. If Kazeko had been able to run after her, Tokimo surely would have too. At least, Seisui hoped so...

"...sort of..." Kazeko looked a little nervous. "Not right away. I had to track you down."

Seisui smiled bitterly. "You could find me, but my best friend can't..."

"Nat-naturally," Kazeko replied. "Your friend seems unable to sense you. But it's surprising...y-you're swelling with an incredible power."

"An incredible power, huh?" Seisui replied reflectively. "Because I'm a Sailor Senshi?"

"In part," Kazeko said. "But that's not all of it. There's...someone inside you. I can feel them when you're angry or sad. Usually I have to touch someone to feel something. But I spent a few minutes talking to the ground, and I was able to find you that way. After all, it can feel you stepping on it, and your energy is hard for even someone as slow-moving as the ground to miss."

"You're talking nonsense," Seisui said with a sigh.

"No," Kazeko hesitantly replied. "I can definitely feel it...If I was crazy, I wouldn't have been able to find you, and I wouldn't have known what happened when the Fomorii appeared."

"Fomorii?" Seisui paused for a moment. "You mentioned that before. But you wouldn't tell me what it is."

"Fomorii are demons," Kazeko explained. "They're born of the netherworld, a land of darkness. They are the only truly evil creatures."

"Why are you willing to tell me now?" Seisui asked. "Why not before?"

"I trust you," Kazeko replied with certainty. "You are a good person."

"Are you crazy?" Seisui smiled. "I'm not a good person. I'm not even a person, if you ask some people."

"No," Kazeko replied. "No...you aren't a person, I suppose. You're really a god."

"You really are crazy," she replied flatly.

"Something really sad happened to you, didn't it?" Kazeko said quietly. "Something terribly sad. And there's someone inside you that's trying to protect you from it."

At this, Seisui stopped in her tracks.

"How do you know all of this?" she said, her voice nervous. "How do you know about Black Water?"

"Is that what you call it?" Kazeko murmured reflectively. "Black Water," she repeated.

"Yeah. How do you know?"

"Err...I said before, err...I can feel it."

"Where did you learn all of this?"

Kazeko paused. "I-I-I can't tell you. I-I'm sorry."

"Will you tell me if I take you to the temple?" Seisui stared at her. What was she afraid of? Maybe Kazeko was lying. Maybe she didn't think she was a good person. Maybe she had some use for her. Seisui's face turned downcast.

Kazeko was overwhelmed with pity and guilt. "It's not you, er--Seisui," Kazeko replied hurriedly. "There's something I'm afraid of."

"Black Water, right?" she scowled.

"No!" Kazeko said urgently. "Not Black Water. Not you. Not even the Fomorii. Something much, much more terrible than that, and yet...much less so."

Seisui looked a toward her a bit doubtfully.

"Seisui..." she said, more quietly this time. "I know you aren't a bad person. It is not natural or right to be a human without fault."

Seisui smiled weakly. "No, you're right, Kazeko. It isn't natural or right." She stifled a tear. "I'll take you to the 'temple.'"

* * *

Tokimo ran out to the street after Seisui, but by the time she got there, she was gone. Tokimo could feel tears welling into her eyes; she wandered around the streets aimlessly.

This whole Moon Senshi thing wasn't what she thought it would be. She gained a friend, only to lose her again, find her, and then lose her after that. Seisui, Tokimo thought stubbornly, was being unreasonable. She knew this was necessary. Anyone could see that.

Why couldn't she just bear with cooperating for a while?

After searching the perimeter of the school, Tokimo realized she wasn't going to find Seisui. She pulled out her communicator and typed "titan" in it.

"Seisui..Seisui..." Tokimo said vainly. No answer. Either the communicator was off, or she wasn't answering.

Well, she could always go to Seisui's house. She'd have to be home eventually, right? Maybe Kouken could even figure out where she was with his senshi-sensing sensors.

Tokimo started toward Seisui's house; then, thinking better of it, she headed down the street toward the stores. Nothing said "peace offering" like a cute little plushie! There was no way that her and Seisui could stay mad at each other.

Absolutely no way!

* * *

"Hiroshi, I..."

The Sailor Quartet had wasted no time in making themselves scarce after the battle. They probably knew that Hiroshi and Usako needed to have a talk; still, she wouldn't be surprised to find out that they were spying in the bushes.

"Don't worry about it. It's over now, right?" he told her reassuringly.

"I said some really rotten things to you," she replied, holding back a sob.

"You were worried about your friend."

"Still..." she murmured.

"Usako, we've both done some bad things. I still feel like you should have listened to some of my advice about Seisui, but at the same time, it was awful of me to tell Setsuna like that. I knew it would make you feel terrible."

"There just isn't any good advice about Seisui," Usako sighed. "Nothing works. I don't want to give up on her, but she doesn't...want to give up on me."

"Don't worry, Usako. I think what Sailor Charon did will help. If we can delay Seisui for a while, maybe that will give you your chance to patch things up. Right?"

"That's assuming she'll go along with Tokimo and stop for the time being."

"I'm sure she will. They're best friends, right?" Hiroshi smiled, putting his arm around her.

"I know, but...Seisui's really stubborn," Usako said with a sigh. "Well...I guess we'll just hope for the best."

* * *

Seisui scowled as she and Kazeko approached the colossal figures of the Sailor Senshi. The Church of Serenity was as big of a tourist attraction as it was religious temple, and Seisui wasn't sure which use more disgusted her. Regardless, millions of members of the Church of Serenity made pilgrimages every year to "the Holy City." The whole concept made Seisui a little sick.

Kazeko mumbled something in another language. It wasn't Japanese or English, Seisui knew, but it sounded European. She looked around nervously, as if she had lost something. Then she looked toward the left side of the Temple. She smiled a little sadly as she walked toward it.

"Where are you going?" Seisui asked, following after her.

"We're almost there," Kazeko replied.

As Seisui turned around the left side of the Temple, she could see what Kazeko had been moving toward. Seisui's eyes widened in surprise.

"It's...me..."

Next to the gigantic, white sculptures of the planetary senshi, this small likeness was nearly dwarflike. Still, the statue was easily taller than Seisui. It was black marble; there were orange flecks throughout the cold stone sculpture, and the statue's face was contorted into a devilish scowl. The eyes were covered by a blindfold that was carved delicately onto the statue's face, the tie suspended from the back of her head as though it were blowing in the wind. There were small white strings tied around the statue, as though whoever had tied them there were afraid that it would begin to move.

As Seisui looked around the perimeter, she could see the other Moon Senshi scattered into a crescent moon shape. Charon, Miranda, Phoebe...their faces, however, were not covered. All of them were tied up with the white strings, and then tied together in the semi-circle, as though a spider had only half-heartedly entrapped its prey.

Kazeko stared at the bottom of the statue of Sailor Titan, trying to make out some writing.

"W-what does it say?" she said a little hesitantly. Seisui walked over to the statue, and peered at the base.

"That's the kanji for evil or bad."

Kazeko continued walking to the next statue. "Can you tell me what all of them mean?" Kazeko said a little hesitantly. "I'm not good with kanji. I always have to use a dictionary..."

Seisui nodded. "Foreigners always have difficulty with kanji." Seisui looked down at the bases as her and Kazeko walked around the half circle. Seisui felt a little dreamy; these were people she knew, and apparently, they had been elevated to some sort of god-like being, albeit contemptible ones...

The next statue was Miranda. He hands were poised in front of her, her fingers contorted into a bizarre, claw-like formation. Her face was frozen in a silent scream, her eyes looking upward to the sky. Such a figure, Seisui thought, could summon blood from the skies.

"Violence," She finally told Kazeko. "That's what it says."

The next statue was markedly smaller. Seisui wasn't sure, at first, which statue this was; its legs were folded awkwardly--one hand covered its face, the other, its head. One of its legs was covering most of it's senshi fuku; even so, Seisui could tell from the two tails of dangling hair that it was Phoebe.

"Indecision. It must be Sailor Phoebe," she added.

Seisui paused a moment before the last statue.

_"I can't stand people who just sit back and let others suffer. _

_I'll be your friend, no matter what!"_

The face of a devil was before her. Carved into a wicked grin, the statue seemed fiendishly gleeful. She held a naginata in her hand; it was poised above her head, the blade pointing downward, ready to spear a helpless victim.

The Kanji was Shi.

Death.

Seisui could feel herself losing it. "What mockery is this?" she sputtered mournfully, her voice degrading to a crying whine. "Is this the way they personify Tokimo?" She scowled. "What do they know...? Every vile thing she did was for our friendship...it was for our cause." She shook her head. "The Kanji is death, Kazeko. In Japan, the number four is unlucky, because it has the same reading--'shi.'"

Kazeko looked at her a little sadly. "Druids believe that death is sacred," she told her, "because it is a natural part of life. There is nothing evil about it."

"What does that mean to me?" Seisui said sadly. "There are no druids here to defend her."

Kazeko said nothing. She pulled a stone out of her bag; it was a brilliant, metallic black. It looked familiar--hematite, was it? She placed it on the base of the statue of Sailor Titan, keeping her hand on the stone. She began to murmur something softly under her breath; Seisui could not understand.

Something dark began to hover around the stone, like the smog that Thisby had held around her hands. The stone began to glow; Seisui could see Kazeko's brow begin to sweat. Seisui couldn't help but be a little amazed and surprised that Kazeko wasn't a Sailor Senshi. What incredible power for a mortal human...

Kazeko faltered a little bit, resting her hands on the base of the statue. She stopped chanting. The stone's glow dimmed away.

"Are you okay?" Seisui asked her, walking up next to her.

Kazeko nodded. "Yeah...but it's no good...there's too much..."

"Too much what?"

"I wanted to bring the statue into balance," Kazeko said quietly. "I thought if I took some of the negative energy from the statue, I could help you as well..."

"That's just a hewn piece of stone, Kazeko," Seisui told her. "It isn't going to do anything to me."

"Sometimes objects can act as avatars for people," Kazeko explained. "But you're probably right. This statue is far corrupted beyond you. I should have known better than to use anything that doesn't actually belong to you."

"Kazeko, you're not from the Church of Serenity, are you?"

Kazeko looked a little nervous. "N-no..."

"Where are you from, Kazeko? Where do you get this power?"

"I-I-I-I can't s-say."

Kazeko's calm face became panicked. Were Kazeko's powers some kind of taboo? Why did she become so afraid?

"Are you a Moon Senshi?" Seisui finally asked. The strange power, the fear...this, above all, would explain it.

Kazeko shook her head. "No! The Tuatha de Dannann are gods! I am not nearly so powerful."

"How did you know all of this? Your powers aren't normal, Kazeko. Even if you don't think you are a Sailor Senshi, I think there's a possibility. I can figure it out. If you come with me, I can--"

"No...I'm not worthy. I'm not a Tuatha de Dannann."

"Why do you call the Sailor Senshi that, Kazeko? The Sailor Senshi aren't gods. After all, I'm a Sailor Senshi, and I'm far from perfect!"

"You are a god," Kazeko replied. "Gods don't have to be perfect. Just powerful. Gods are powerful, and sad..."

"Do you refuse to consider the possibility because you don't want the responsibility?" Seisui asked. "It's happened before..." She frowned, thinking of Yamiko.

"No..." Kazeko insisted. "I simply am not worthy. I...have to go home. My parents will be worried. I...I hope the best for you." She turned around and ran.

"Hey, Kazeko! Wait!" Seisui watched her run away; she thought about following her. Better to wait, she decided; Kazeko was afraid of something. There was certainly a strong possibility that she was a Moon Senshi...What was it that made her so anxious to avoid the possibility?

* * *

Once everyone had left the school yard, Yamiko promptly liberated herself of her lunch.

The mutilated corpse of Thisby...she wasn't sure how she had kept it in so long. Maybe it was the desire not to be seen by the others. The last thing she wanted was to hear them mock her.

She could feel herself sweating--the kind of acrid, putrid sweat that comes with fear--and she slowly followed the wall to the front door of the school. No more classes today. Certainly not for her.

Soon, the school walls were replaced by the street's walls. Yamiko still felt faint. She should have run away before the fight began. She told herself she wasn't going to get involved with this, and yet she stuck around to hear Tokimo squawk at her.

Just because she was a Moon Senshi didn't mean she had to be like the rest of them. Even Sailor Saturn, who killed her parents, was a different Sailor Saturn. And that had been three millennia ago. She could forget about all of that now.

Her screaming mother...the locked cell. A poisoned cup...what wretchedness. Her poor mother, a mere shadow of her former self...but that was so long ago. It didn't matter now, right?

"Are you okay?"

Yamiko looked up. It was Kane. She promptly scowled--she wasn't going to indulge this pretty boy or his frilly goth attire. "I'm fine," she told him irritably. "Go away."

"You look as pale as a ghost," he said, ignoring her. "You should get something to eat and drink. There's a café across the street. My treat, okay?"

"Trust me," Yamiko said, remembering the bloody corpse, "I don't want anything to eat. Or drink."

"At least sit down for a while. I'll help you. You look ready to pass out."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Fall into your arms? Wake up with you tenderly watching over me? What kind of a sap do you think I am?"

He shrugged. "I don't know you that well yet. I just want to help you out, okay? I promise. Talking to me won't kill you. Serenity, you don't even have to talk to me if you don't want to. And we'll be in a public place, so you can always scream, right?" The last point was said more than a little sarcastically.

"I just want to go home."

"Well, then, let me take you home."

"No."

"I'm going to follow you regardless. Who knows what could happen, with the condition you're in?"

"If you follow me home, I'll call the police."

"Realistically speaking, if I _were_ going to kidnap you, I probably could do it you before you had the chance to grab your phone and call the police--especially since it doesn't look like you go to the gym regularly. Just let me get you something, okay? If you come to the café with me, I promise I won't follow you home." He grinned, as though something had occurred to him. "I bet your sister would like that, eh, if I--"

"Okay, I'll go with you to the café." The last thing she needed was her sister flirting with this guy. Or two or three of his friends.

"Okay, let's go." He tried putting his arm around her in an attempt to help her along, but Yamiko's glare of death quickly told him that this was unwise.

"Don't start getting delusional," Yamiko snapped.

"I was just trying to help you," he said a bit defensively. "That's all."

Yamiko walked across the street beside Kane, keeping a close eye on him. If that creep got anywhere near her...

Kane opened the door for her as they approached the café. It looked a bit on the pricey side; probably French. Since the rise of the Queen, Japan had seen a bigger influx of immigrants, and foreign cuisine was becoming increasingly common. Kane motioned over to the nearest booth; Yamiko sat down, privately grateful.

"So what happened to you, anyway?" he asked. "Do you have a virus?"

"Yes," Yamiko replied. "Deadly. You better leave, or you might catch it."

Kane laughed. "Good comeback."

"I'm not interested in you," Yamiko told him. "So just give up."

"I don't expect you to be interested in me. What kind of an asshole do you think I am? I just want to get to know you. I think you're an interesting person. That doesn't mean I'm interested in you, per se, but I find you interesting."

"What's so interesting about me, anyway? The way I treat you badly, or my attempts to push you away at every turn?" she said, looking incredulously toward him. Now that she had a distraction and a chance to sit down, Yamiko felt a little better. She remembered hearing about a condition that men in the field used to have from seeing people slaughtered in war. What was it? Post Traumatic Shell Disorder? She wasn't sure. It didn't exist anymore, so you only heard about it in the history books. Well, at least, it wasn't supposed to exist anymore.

Kane chuckled again. "Everyone has a secret. The more interesting the person and the more interesting the secret, the more they try to hide it."

"So I'm a puzzle?" This guy pissed her off. "Why not turn to the jumbles in the paper, instead of making me your human game of clue?"

"Good work, Yamiko! Keep on with the defense. Man the barricade! Throw out the molten iron! Get the cannons ready! Attack!" Kane smiled and waved toward a waitress. "A cup of tea, please. And a glass of water." The waitress walked off without comment.

"Are you trying to be insulting?"

"Not especially. You're insulted regardless of what I say, so it doesn't really matter."

Yamiko knew that this was when she should come up with a wickedly scathing comeback. Unfortunately for her, what Kane said was partially true--though she really felt he was asking for it.

Yamiko looked out the window; there was a large crowd gathering at the school yard, mostly reporters. Now that the battle was over, the vultures were swooping over the carrion. This would be all over the papers tomorrow.

"People love news," Kane said wryly. "Nothing says profit like Gross National Curiosity. And the Moon Senshi thing is like Shangri-La for newspapers."

"Have you been keeping up?" Yamiko asked.

"Sort of," he replied. "Not especially. I think people don't really understand them. Titan has become Satan to the public, but as they say, 'even a demon cries'. I'm sure there aren't many people sending her letters of support."

"I feel sorry for Seisui," Yamiko said with a sigh, "but at the same time, she brought it on herself."

"Do you know her?" he asked, a little surprised.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you called her 'Seisui.' Not Han'i, or even Seisui Han'i..."

Yamiko was a little flustered. How was she going to explain this one?" Errr..well, you know, she's such a criminal and all, she doesn't really deserve to be treated with respect."

Kane raised an eyebrow. "You don't call your enemies by their first names," he persisted, smirking. "What are you hiding, Yamiko?"

Yamiko was thankful to be saved by the interruption of the waitress. She set the tea down in front of Yamiko and the water in front of Kane.

"Actually, the tea was for me," he said, a little embarrassed.

The waitress blushed. "I'm so sorry!" She gingerly switched the cups around. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"Are you hungry, Yamiko?" He looked toward her. "Can I get you anything?"

Yamiko nodded as the waitress handed her a menu. Maybe if she killed some more time, Kane would forget about the whole "how do you know Seisui" bit.

"Let's see..." Yamiko looked over each option slowly, trying to go quickly enough to keep the waitress there--and thus, halt the conversation--but long enough to kill some time. "I'll have...hmm...the chocolate cheesecake." The waitress scribbled down her selection and walked off.

"Let's see...where were we..." Kane trailed off.

"We were talking about how you thought I was a human game of clue," Yamiko suggested, slightly annoyed. Maybe if she went back to earlier in their conversation...

"No, no. We were talking about Han'i." His face lit up. "That's right! You were acting funny about it."

Fuck, Yamiko cringed. No go... "I must have said the wrong part of her name by accident," Yamiko shrugged.

"Not after being so defensive about it," Kane persisted.

"Look, just leave it alone, okay?" Yamiko spat. "It's none of your business how I know Seisui."

"So you do know her."

"Err--no, I--"

"Busted," he said liltingly, a broad grin on his face.

"Stop playing with me!" Yamiko retorted in annoyance. "It's so irritating. I'm not some game, okay?"

"I'm not trying to play with you..." Kane said with a sigh. "I'm just trying to be playful. I though I might get you to smile."

"Don't bother," she retorted. "I have nothing to smile about." She shivered, remembering the carcass. Yamiko gulped some water and reached for a pill. She couldn't deal with this...

"What's that?" Kane asked. "Asprin?"

"None of your business," Yamiko snapped.

"What's wrong, Yamiko?" he asked suddenly. "Something is really bugging you. Why not share?"

"Why share?"

"Because it'll make you feel better," he said seriously. "Please? I'm buying you cheesecake. The least you could do is humor me a little."

"I'll pay the tab."

"Yamiko..." he said, sighing. "Who am I going to tell?"

"I don't know. The police?" She was serious, too. He probably would.

"I promise I won't. Whatever it is you're hiding, I promise," he said. He really looked sincere, too--keyword 'looked.' "I promise."

"Words are pretty," Yamiko said. She felt a little sad. "Words are pretty, but they won't keep your mouth shut."

"No," he said. "No, they don't, do they? Words are just words."

Yamiko looked at him. A shadow crossed his face. What kind of person was Kane? He just felt like talking to her out of the blue. He looked like any counter-culture kid from Harajuku, but then, why did she meet him so conveniently near Goban? Kane, it seemed, had secrets of his own...

"Fine," Yamiko finally said. "You tell me some kind of horrible secret."

Kane's face brightened a little. "I would, but I don't think I have one."

"Then you certainly aren't in a position to understand any of mine," she replied.

"Okay, okay, fine. Let me think for a second."

"Okay," Yamiko said with a nod.

"My parents kicked me out," he said finally.

"Why?"

"Oh, I have to tell you why, too?"

Cue mocking indignation, Yamiko thought. Figures. "Yeah, you do."

"Okay, fine. They caught me downloading music off the VR con."

"So? What's so bad about that?"

Kane smirked. "'Morbid Anthem.' Hardcore industrial metal band. More importantly, they're anti-Serenity. Some people think they're the beginning of an attempt for international recruitment into some freakish killing cult. I think that's a load of bull, but, my parents weren't too thrilled regardless."

Yamiko raised an eyebrow. "They kicked you out for listening to music?"

"Well, yeah, but this was pretty extreme stuff. I mean, the Moon Senshi try fighting against the queen, and look what happens to them. Morbid Anthem might just be a lot of hot air, but it's still too controversial for most people to accept. There's a reason why they haven't caught on yet."

"What does the music say, exactly?"

"The Queen is evil, the world is fucked up, everybody sucks. You get the idea."

Yamiko was reminded of Fubuki. "Do you agree with them?"

Kane shrugged. "A lot of it. Some of it is a little too extreme, even for me."

"So you're saying you don't like the Queen."

"Hell no," Kane chuckled. "I mean, maybe she doesn't mean harm, but she's just so stupid. How did we ever let ourselves be ruled by such a moron?"

Wow, Yamiko thought. Maybe Kane does have a brain. "I know what you mean," she agreed. "It's like you say. She may not mean any harm, but she's incompetent. She hurts people, impoverishes them--she doesn't even know her own Kingdom."

"How could she?" Kane chuckled. "They don't let her outside her own castle. They're too afraid that Chaos will come back. It's so ridiculous. He leaned in, speaking more quietly. "Who can really blame the Moon Senshi?"

This was a surprise. Yamiko smirked a little. "Telling me you sympathize with the Moon Senshi is probably a far more dangerous secret than getting kicked out of you house."

Kane shrugged. "Sad but true. Now it's your turn, remember?"

Yamiko sighed. "Fine. You better keep your mouth shut, though."

Kane nodded. Yamiko paused. Telling him she was a Sailor Senshi probably still wasn't a good idea, no matter how much he supposedly sympathized. Better start with something a little more harmless.

"I do know Seisui," she told him. "I wouldn't call us friends or anything, though. She and another friend are having something of a spat with me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Yamiko said. The best way to lie was to tell the most truth possible. "I knew her back when the Moon Senshi thing was first stirring up. I wouldn't call us friends then either, but there was a time when I sympathized with her. They asked me to help them out in a lot of their plans against the Queen, but I didn't want to get involved."

"Why not?"

"I don't know...it was dangerous, I didn't see why at the time. I didn't want to. I still don't. There were a lot of problems with the way they thought, even if they were right to rebel."

"Hm...what happened, exactly?"

"Seisui just wants to kill the Queen. She doesn't think about what could happen afterward. True, I agreed with her for a while..." Yamiko still had mixed feelings about the day Seisui had gone to kill the queen. "Sometimes I still do. It's all too confusing. Seisui wants revenge, Charon wants justice...I just want peace."

"Are you really so miserable that you just want to bail out?"

Before Yamiko could say anything, the waitress returned politely with her cheesecake. Yamiko looked down at it and started eating. Who the hell did he think he was? "Are you really such an asshole that you're willing to believe you understand anything that I'm going through?"

"Okay, fine. What don't I understand?"

"You're telling me I should go risk my life on some moronic scheme!"

"No, Yamiko. That's not it. You have it wrong."

"Well what is it, then, Mr. Morbid Anthem, huh?"

"The fact that what you want is peace, to me, is telling. Han'i sees her problems as coming from other people. Charon wants to do the right thing. Revenge and justice, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Yamiko, you say you want peace, but it's not because you're dedicated to the idea of peace, the idea of changing the world. It's only because you hate conflict." He paused. "And even your reasons for not wanting to get involved--It's not as simple as thinking Han'i is crazy, is it? You believed enough in what they were doing that you were willing to help out. But at the same time, you don't want to get hurt. Maybe it's even more than that--you don't want to see them get hurt, either. I think, truly, you are torn over what to do about this. Torn, and afraid."

Yamiko paused. "Seisui is crazy," she replied sadly. "She's really quite mad."

"Probably. But you know why, don't you?"

Yamiko paused.

_"Everyone is equally wonderful."_

She shuddered. "Yeah, well...I guess."

Kane smiled. "What is it?"

Yamiko sighed. This guy seemed intent on becoming her personal shrink.

"Look, it's been nice and all, and thanks for the cheesecake. Now I really have to go home, Kane. I'm not really interested in exposing my life's secrets."

"Maybe we can chat again sometime."

Yamiko got up and grabbed her bag. Kane was such a freak. "Maybe," she said, with every intention not to do so.

"If you wait a minute, I can walk you home," he offered.

"No," Yamiko curtly replied. "I'm quite capable, thank you."

"You're welcome," he said graciously, a sarcastic smirk on his face. Why the hell had she spent so much time talking to this creep, anyway?

Oh well. At least she got some cheesecake.

* * *

"You're coming to church with me tonight."

Fubuki's mother looked menacingly toward Fubuki, who was seated apathetically at the other end of the table. The table was long enough to account for any man's compensation, Fubuki thought, which was why her mother had it.

"What the fuck? It's Monday. The day you don't drag me to your shit-brained devil worship. The day that I get to throw darts in your picture. Remember?"

"Fubuki!" she snapped, glaring warningly back at her. "The Moon Senshi crisis has made it especially important that we ask for the guidance of our Queen. Moreover, the new statues have been completed, and people are tying their wards."

"Like tying their shoelaces? Or is it more like tying your tubes?"

Her mother cringed. "When we tie the ward around the Moon Senshi, it contains their power."

Fubuki began to laugh, a deep-throated, mocking laugh. "It what?"

"If we pray that the Moon Senshi fail, then we will help our queen."

"You'll what?" Fubuki continued to laugh. So...fucking...stupid...

"Fubuki, you're coming with me! We're going to help our Queen subdue these sinners."

"By tying twine around her enemies?"

"It isn't twine. The silk thread is dedicated by the holy priest!"

"I am not going to your little pow-wow. As far as I'm concerned, the Moon Senshi can blow up whoever the hell they want."

"Fubuki, you are coming. Or I'll make sure that your room gets cleaned for once."

Fubuki scowled. Stupid bitch.

* * *

The crowd of sheep shuffling into the courtyard was of its typically large, flock-like size. People who couldn't think for themselves really pissed Fubuki off. People who couldn't think pissed her off even more. Most of these people were both of them.

Fubuki made sure to get lost in the crowd very quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was get put in the line for magical string. What a fuckin' waste of time. Fubuki cut through the crowd and made her way to the new abominations, walking nonchalantly past the typically white 'n' shining statues of idiocy.

Fubuki stared at each one. Sure enough, Seisui's statue was there, frothing at the mouth in typical Seisui fashion. Tokimo looked like she was having a little too much fun, and Yamiko was quivering on the floor. It was pretty amazing, really, how well they had imitated their personalities without really knowing a fuckin' thing about them.

Fubuki walked up to the statue of herself, screaming into the heavens. Heh. Mom would be proud. At least her statue looked powerful. If she were Yamiko right now, she'd be pretty fucking embarrassed.

Something shone in the corner of her eye. Fubuki turned; it was on Seisui's statue. A shiny, black rock was lying on the equally shiny and black pedestal of Seisui's likeness. Fubuki pondered it for a moment, wondering why the fuck anyone would put some freaking rock there. She walked over to it and picked it up, throwing it up in the air and catching it like an apple.

A nearby worshiper looked toward her depreciatively as she did so, noticing her rather ambivalent attitude to all they held sacred. Fubuki turned toward him, nonchalantly grinning like a demon.

"So, fucker," she said, smirking, "What the hell is this thing, anyway?" She glanced up at the rock as it fell back toward her hand.

The worshiper looked more than a little insulted, but Fubuki knew that her mother's church was too interested in converting the heathens to bother back-talking. He glanced at the rock momentarily.

"I don't know," he finally replied, continuing to tie his twine-o-demonic containment around Tokimo's statue.

Fubuki stopped tossing the rock in the air and looked down at it. It was actually very heavy. Fubuki somehow felt a deeply negative power seeping into her; not that that was anything unusual. She turned around and held up the rock; grinning, she threw it maliciously toward the ever-thickening line of worshipers.

Fubuki, for all her complacency, was overwhelmed by a feeling of dread.

Lightning crackled around the hurled stone; it stopped midair, holding the terrified attention of the crowd. Fubuki could see two pale hands pushing themselves out of the stone. She had a sinking premonition of what was coming.

She didn't have time to contemplate before two ivory hands were clenched firmly around her neck.

The amazement and fear degenerated into screams. Fubuki kicked upwards, landing the bitch in the stomach and sending her backwards on the ground. The same blonde hair and frilly sort of clothing as the last freakish whore; Fubuki coughed and grudgingly raised her hand.

"Miranda prism power, make up!"

The onlookers were now more terrified than ever. A flurry of snow surrounded Fubuki; the girl that was known throughout the church as an unwilling but "soon-to-be-converted" participant was undergoing a most terrifying transformation.

"Fubuki!" her mother was screaming, barely audible above the crowd. Only her mother could manage to do that. "Fubuki, what are you doing?! Get away from there!"

Sailor Miranda finished her transformation. The youma was still on the ground, and Miranda could see her mother's face. It was pallid, overwhelmed. Miranda cackled happily at her shock.

"It's the day of the Queen, my dearest," she she said with a smirk, "so I thought I'd give you a nice surprise!" She spread her hands like claws and looked toward the sky. "Look, 'mommy'! You should be proud!"

Her mother backed away, confusion flooding her face. Sailor Miranda moved closer to the youma, and in doing so, closer to her mother. Fubuki clamped a heel firmly on the pallid woman's stomach, who screamed in anguish.

"Your daughter is a God!"

_EPISODE ELEVEN:FIN_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Seisui**: Don't leave me alone...don't leave me alone...!

**Tokimo**: What's wrong with you? Can't you see? This is more important than any of that!

**Yamiko**: I'm not interested in you. I'm not interested in your life. And I won't become involved!

**Fubuki**: Anything that makes you squirm makes me smile. Now, I can be free. Jirou, support me always...

**Kane**: An angel of darkness is hallowed with light. Come to me, sweet angel...

**Eros**: I can play the pieces like any master. I can toy with emotions like a puppeteer.

**Kazeko**: There are some things that simply cannot be accepted.

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"Downward to Heaven"_

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.

* * *


	12. Episode Twelve: Downward to Heaven

A massive flurry of snow surrounded Fubuki as she transformed into Sailor Miranda. The crowd screamed in terror, scurrying away like cockroaches--a massive flood of terrified insects. The few that stayed were frozen like the very statues they worshiped, their faces overwrought with shock and fear.

"Fubuki!" her mother was screaming, barely audible above the crowd. Only her mother could manage to do that. "Fubuki, what are you doing?! Get away from there!"

Sailor Miranda finished her transformation. The youma was still on the ground, and Miranda could see her mother's face. It was pallid, overwhelmed. Miranda cackled happily at her shock.

"It's the day of the Queen, my dearest," she said with a smirk, "so I thought I'd give you a nice surprise!" She spread her hands like claws and looked toward the sky. "Look, 'mommy'! You should be proud!"

Her mother backed away, confusion flooding her face. Sailor Miranda moved closer to the Youma, and in doing so, closer to her mother. Sailor Miranda clamped a heel firmly on the pallid youma's stomach, who screamed in anguish .

"Your daughter is a God!"

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Twelve:

"Downward to Heaven"

* * *

Fubuki continued to laugh as her mother stared blankly toward her.

Her cackling dampened abruptly as the youma's claw-like hand curled around Fubuki's leg. Fubuki joined her victim as the youma pulled her to the ground.

"Fucker," Miranda spat. "I killed one of you hussies, I can do it again," she hissed, bringing herself to her feet. As she pulled herself upward, the youma was already standing in front of her, smirking. In the time that Fubuki had been down, the youma had already managed to stand up.

Miranda promptly raised a fist and swung at the woman's face; a futile move, as the youma's long, spindly fingers reached out and caught Miranda's wrist before it could even hope to make contact.

"Shit!" she spat. "How the fuck did--"

Miranda screamed as a multitude of thin, red string slithered out of the woman's palm and wrapped around her arm like a snake. The string was rapidly engulfed in raging fire--as was Miranda's glove.

The youma pushed Miranda back to the ground. Miranda screamed as she covered her arm with her torso, effectively dousing the flame before it could seriously damage her arm--but leaving an excruciating burn mark across her stomach.

"You fucking bitch," Miranda spat, gasping for breath. "I'll fucking kill you..."

Miranda pulled herself up, sweating and feeling nauseous. It was strangely quiet, especially considering that the fucking youma had just torched her arm.

Her mother was still standing there, as though she had been petrified.

Miranda smiled as she felt the sweat beading on her forehead.

"Well, mom," she said croakily, "what do you think?"

"I was wondering, myself..." an echoey voice called.

Fubuki's eyes widened as her mother became engulfed in fire, the flame spiraling into the sky. Her mother was going to burn to death...

"FUCK!" she screamed. "If anyone kills that bitch, it's gonna be me!"

She forced herself to run forward, cringing in pain as she felt the stinging sensation of the air against her scorched skin. As she approached the flame, it spread outward. Miranda ran headlong into it, expecting herself to scream in agony at any moment, and frankly, not giving a shit.

The flames touched her skin like feathers, leaving her unharmed. Her mother, caught in the middle of a wall of fire, was likewise unharmed. Even the heat seemed to dissipate inside the circle.

"Get the fuck out here," Miranda shouted outward, hoping that the broad would reappear, "Get your--"

_"You should try to get her out of there, Fubuki,"_

Miranda froze. The fire and her mother disappeared. She was suddenly in the hallway, all those years ago--

_"Momma won't listen, nana," she pouted, "Momma doesn't hear."_

_"Just try," her nana encouraged her. "Just try."_

_Fubuki walked up to the door of her mother's room. It seemed huge, foreboding. Painted white and powder blue, her mother's colors back then, it seemed huge to such a little girl. There was no noise beyond the door. Fubuki was half struck with the notion that--like those scary movies her father watched--opening it would reveal some bloody horror, some severed head or gory suicide._

_Fubuki rapped on the door. "Momma?" she whimpered. "Momma, you there?"_

_Hysterical sobs started as her small fist rapped._

_"His daughter," she screamed incoherently. "His daughter, his life, his life--"_

_Fubuki began crying at her mother's outburst. "Momma," she sobbed, "Momma, what's wrong? Please come out, momma--"_

_The horrified sobs continued._

"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Miranda shouted. "Who the fuck do you think you are, you whore, playing around with me?"

_"From now on, Fubuki, we're going to church," Her mother told her, tying her hair up in pink ribbons._

Back when she was young and stupid...

_"Church?" Fubuki repeated. "Why?"_

Only because that bitch believed in shit...

_"Your father did a terrible thing," she told her, patting her on the head, "and this is our way of saying we're sorry."_

_But daddy died protecting people...he didn't do anything wrong..._

_"He didn't do anything wrong!" she shouted, still wearing her uniform, barely home from private school. "What is wrong with you, mom? Why are you so obsessed with this?"_

Even after all this time, she still didn't fucking know what her mother's problem was.

_"Don't talk back to me, Fubuki! Get in the car!"_

_"I won't! I won't!" she screamed, clutching into the railing as her mother dragged her outside. "I WON'T!"_

_"I won't give in..."she cried. She threw a jewelry box across the room and into the wall, smashing it into pieces and leaving a dent besides._

Her second year of junior high.

_"Whatever the hell makes her mad, that's what I'm gonna do!" she spat. "I'll smoke drugs...I'll join gangs...whatever pisses her off, I'm there!"_

_"--Most likely it was that boy she's seeing; that druggie boy. I've told her to break up with that impecunious filth, but of course, that only encourages her the more. She enjoys seeing me suffer."_

"Oh, shut the fuck up!" Miranda screamed. "I already know all of this shit, I fucking lived through it! Cut the crap so I can rip you apart, you whore!"

The visions of her childhood abruptly disappeared. Miranda's eyes were now filled with the sight of snow-topped trees. There was an unearthly silence, broken only by the sound of snow toppling off branches and falling onto the ground below. Ahead of her she could see a ghostly figure, shrouded by an opaque block of ice.

"What the fuck...?" she whispered, moving toward it. "I know you're here, you whore!" she shouted as she walked. "Get the fuck out here, I'm not fucking afraid!"

Miranda reached the strange block of ice. There was a thin covering of frost over it; she held her glove up and gently brushed it away.

Miranda stifled a gasp.

Her own body was suspended in the block of ice, clutching protectively onto her trench coat--as if she were resisting the unbearable cold to the very last.

"What the fuck are you trying to pull now?!" she shouted. "Huh? What's the fucking idea?"

"Slowly, slowly, you freeze your heart into ice, even as the rest of you is caught in sound and fury."

"Fuck off with the metaphors," Miranda hissed.

"All caring, hope, kindness and love is pushed below, frozen, where it can't be touched. And all that emotion comes out in a single form, burning a path in front of it--anger. Anger to your loved ones, anger to your enemies, anger when life is unfair. Anything that's in your way is attacked, fought, kicked, bitten, smashed."

"None of your fucking business."

"Some of the psychologists thought your mother was going to be permanently mute," the voice continued. "Trauma. She locked herself away even after she began to speak, and the sounds of sobbing echoed from her room morning and night..."

"S_hut the hell up_!" Miranda screamed. "Go the hell away!"

"And, after that, she blamed it all on your father."

_"Everything in this house that belongs to that sinner has to be burned, sold, whatever! Just get rid of it! Our new life has no room for this!"_

Miranda clenched her hands over her hears. "Shut the hell up..." she whimpered. "Go away..."

"You'll never forget it, will you Fubuki? The sound of her cries in the night...the day she told you your father was a monster...a bloodthirsty man who longed for the violence of his career..."

"Arctic blades!" Miranda screamed. The buzz saws spiraled toward the block of ice, splitting her own image in half. The blocks slid apart on the slippery snow, steaming where her blades cut through them. As they slid away from each other, the youma appeared once more, her visage calm as her flame-spattered dress materialized. She held the red string in her hands, still flaming as it had before.

"You little fucker--" Miranda held her hands out. "Arctic blades!"

The youma jumped nimbly upward as Miranda's blades spiraled toward her. She took the opportunity to fly forward, charging at Miranda's shoulders with her string stretched between her palms. Miranda screamed as the string stretched across her.

"You bitch," she stuttered almost incoherently. "I'll kill you..." Tears fell from her eyes as the searing pain touched her.

"And how are you going to do that?" the youma asked wryly, a grin barely visible through her veiled face. "Your kakon is mine already, girl. Its power is coursing through my veins."

Miranda screamed. She forced her arm upward and clenched the youma's throat; the whore barely flinched. Her strength was failing her...

"Rimy thorns!" she spat, her voice hoarse. Blood spilt around her wrists as icy prongs drove through the woman's throat. Her blood was inky and black, and the touch of it was as cold as the ice around her. The fire around the red string flickered and disappeared; soon, the wintry scene did as well, dissolving back to the church. The youma was gone, too--a small painting of was the only remnant of her body.

Fubuki's transformation abruptly dissolved and she whimpered as she breathed.

Her mother still stood next to her, where the ring of fire had formed; her eyes were blank, and she looked as though she were dreaming. Without saying another word, she turned away from Fubuki and began to walk away.

Let her go home, Fubuki thought. Let her stop talking again, and lock herself away. Then I won't have to fucking deal with her.

The few church members who had stayed behind shook their heads abruptly, as though they were coming out of a trance. One of them ran urgently toward her as another one pulled out a phone.

"Are you alive?" one of them asked her. "Please, Great Serenity, guide and watch over her..."

"Fuck...off..." Fubuki managed to whimper.

The man stayed anyway, but he stopped praying.

"The avatar of violence is our savior," he muttered. "A Moon Senshi has saved us all."

* * *

"Eros, Eros, Eros." Coeus walked nonchalantly into his room, grinning complacently as he watched the youma's death, crystal clear in the surface of Eros' mirror. "It looks like Sailor Miranda has left Pureh rather speechless."

Eros looked on, spinning a rose nonchalantly between his thumb and forefinger.

"You know that isn't the point, Coeus," he said with a sigh. "Judging from what she harvested, I'd say the mission was really a success."

Coeus walked over to the granite table. It was literally covered in miniature portraits; he picked one up and examined it apathetically.

"We'll just hope you don't run out of dead girlfriends, Eros," he said blandly, "and then everything will be fine."

"Get out of my sight," he murmured, dropping the rose and glaring at Coeus. "Get out of here."

Coeus grinned. "Don't hurt yourself, Eros," he said, turning around and heading toward the door. "We wouldn't want your heart getting broken again."

* * *

Kouken's feet tapped lightly against the walk as he approached Tokimo. Her back was turned away from him as she stood diligently in front of Seisui's home; Tokimo was clutching something in her hands protectively.

"Hey, Tokimo," he called to her. "What's up? You're here early. Where's Seisui?"

Tokimo turned around and looked at him nervously. She was clutching a black bunny plushie in her hands protectively, as though she were afraid it would squirm out of her arms and hop away.

"Well..." she began, "it's kinda a long story."

"Why, what happened?"

"Err...a Youma attacked."

"What?!" Kouken stuttered. "When? How? Who sent it?"

"It was at school," Tokimo explained. "There was a freaky woman, and she attacked us with a red string. She killed a teacher, but Usako revived them. We still don't know where the monster came from, or even why she was attacking."

Kouken paused, a troubled expression crossing his face. "Is everyone okay?"

"Uh-huh," Tokimo nodded. "Fubuki killed it with her attack. Seisui and I were okay. Oh! I found out something else, too."

"Hm?" he looked up at her quizically.

"Erik is the Crimson Eagle," she told him excitedly. "The youma took away the Crimson Eagle, and when we rescued him, he was Erik. And there's this odd girl named Kazeko, and she could feel the Youma. She even told us how to save the Crimson Eagle, and she called the youma 'fomorii'--"

"Hold on Tokimo!" Kouken interrupted her. "That's a lot to take in at once. So you're sure about Erik?"

Tokimo nodded vigorously. "Yes. But he acted like he didn't know. I think he was just in denial."

"And who is this Kazeko?"

"She's weird," Tokimo explained. "Before we found out about Erik, the Youma teleported the Crimson Eagle away. We didn't know where, but Kazeko told us it was in some kind of negative space...thing. She told us we could use positive energy to neutralize it, so Helios used his priesty powers and made them both come back. That was how we knew about Erik--he teleported away as the Crimson Eagle, but when he came back, he was Erik."

"She could be a Sailor Senshi..." Kouken mused. "Bring me to school next time, okay? Next time a Youma attacks, I'd like to be there."

"Yeah," Tokimo agreed. "Sure."

A few moments of silence passed; Tokimo's face looked uneasy. She continued clutching the bunny protectively, and her eyes strayed to the ground, following the mindless, industrial work of an anthill.

"Where's Seisui, Tokimo?" Kouken asked uneasily.

"We got in a little fight," Tokimo told him. "But I'm sure it'll be okay...I mean, me and Seisui have gone through all this time as good friends, so I don't see why that should stop now. Sometimes friends get in fights, right?"

"That's certainly true," Kouken said, though he couldn't help feeling that Tokimo wasn't entirely confident. "What happened?"

"Well...the youma killed a woman...so we had to revive her, right?"

Kouken nodded.

"But only Sailor Pinkmoon can revive people...right?"

Kouken felt a chill down his spine as he realized where the conversation was headed. He nodded.

"But Seisui wanted to kill Sailor Pinkmoon. I didn't want to, because you know, then innocent people will die!" Tokimo explained fervently. "But Seisui...Seisui said that Sailor Moon was the bigger threat. That her father was innocent, and he wasn't alive, not really anyway, and I thought Seisui was being selfish, but..."

"Tokimo..." Kouken said sadly. "You and Seisui are very different people. But you're all that Seisui has...so I don't think that you can fight for long."

For both their sakes, he hoped they wouldn't.

* * *

"Hey, Kazeko! Wait!" Seisui watched her run away; she thought about following her. Better to wait, she decided; Kazeko was afraid of something. There was certainly a strong possibility that she was a Moon Senshi... What was it that made her so anxious to avoid the possibility?

Oh well. She'd have to talk to her later, Seisui mused. For now, there was nothing to do but head home.

Home.

If she headed home, Tokimo would be there.

_"The youma could kill many more people than the queen purified," Charon argued. "Seisui, think about this! Are you willing to kill Usako at the expense of the lives of people who aren't even involved?"_

_Think about this!_

Seisui cringed. Clenched her fist.

_"We just can't let innocent people get killed. It's not right!"_

_"We can't, Titan. We can't."_

_"We can't."_

"It's no good..." Seisui murmured, walking away from the statues. She made her way along the sidewalk and toward her district, leaning a hand on the walls lining the streets. Support for weak knees.

Her support...

_"I'll still be your friend, no matter what!"_

We're not going to give up, are we, Tokimo?

_"No! We aren't! We're just...backing off. For a while."_

God dammit! That is giving up, isn't it? It's just a nice way of putting it, isn't it? First we just back off for a while, and then Tokimo and Chibi-Usa become friends...

_"We'll kill Sailor Pinkmoon before the week is out. Where's all that 'we're gonna beat up the bad guy' spunk?, Huh, huh?"_

We're going to beat up the bad guy...

"Prodosia."

Seisui stopped dead in her tracks. There was only one person that called her that.

"Prodosia..."

The street melted around her. She was standing on a small cobblestone island, floating in a sea of black water.

Black Water...

"Prodosia, it's me."

A swirling mass of black, inky ooze contorted and formed out of the sea into a familiar shape. The shape of the man with a halberd, Black Water, who had tried to save her so many times.

"You have not forgotten, have you...?" he said gently, looking at her with kind eyes.

"No..." She murmured. "No."

"Prodosia...do not let yourself be deceived," he said. "Tokimo is not the friend you thought she was."

Seisui looked down at the murky pool beneath her. "Tokimo and me...are just having a bit of a disagreement. She'll come around..."

"You thought of it yourself, Prodosia...to Tokimo, it was never about helping you. It was about being a hero...beating up the 'bad guy.' You gave her what she wanted, Prodosia, a chance to play that hero. To defeat the evil Chibi-Usa. And she was willing to be your friend to that end, as well. But now the tables are turned."

"What do you mean...?" Seisui murmured. "The tables are turned?"

"Do not let yourself be used again, Prodosia. Tokimo believed that she was fighting on the hero's side, so that was the side she chose. Now that the lives of innocents are at stake, she's decided that you are not the hero anymore."

"Tokimo isn't that petty!" Seisui protested. "Tokimo was loyal to me. She was with me because she was my friend..."

"Tokimo was your friend because you looked like a hero, a brave girl against impossible odds. But now, she has someone else to play hero with, a hero that will give her more respect. And now that she has that, she isn't going to let anything get in her way, the same way she didn't let anything get in her way when she was on your side. Now that she's on the other side, nothing will stop her from 'saving innocents' and 'beating up bad guys.' Not you. And if you get in the way, she'll think in the same way she thought of everyone else when you were the hero."

"A villain," Seisui whimpered. "I'll just be a villain."

"Tokimo wasn't using you," Black Water told her. "She's too simple for that. But when something came in the way, Tokimo went with the hero's path, not the path of friendship. And you weren't on the path of a hero. Not the way she saw it, anyway."

"But my path is the hero's path!" Seisui protested. "And Tokimo knows that. She just isn't thinking in the long term. Tokimo is bad at that. She's just thinking about one person's life...I'm sure if I remind her, she'll remember, she'll realize..."

"You'll just let yourself get hurt, Prodosia. Don't listen to Tokimo. She's doesn't really care about you," he said sadly.

"How do I know you're not just saying that, trying to get me to give up? What if you're with Nemesis?" she cried, looking angrily toward him.

Black Water frowned mournfully, his face full of betrayal. Seisui paused. No...that couldn't be it.

"I suppose you have no proof," he said sadly. "And I can understand why you would think that. But I do not tell you this to make you falter or to needlessly sever your friendship. I have watched you suffer all these years. I was there the day you found out what fate befell your father. I have seen friends abuse you in your youth. I watched as bullies punched you, and as you were captured. I saw you when you walked on Nemesis, when the deathly silence and loneliness pierced deep into your heart."

Black Water spoke the truth.

"Tokimo will never allow the deaths of innocent people--even if she is saving people in the long run or righting an injustice. And the only way you can reconcile yourself with her is to forget about your father, your vengeance, and the crimes upon you. And no matter how unbearably the memories of your father weigh upon you, no matter how awful pushing away Tokimo is, telling yourself to forget it, to put aside the suffering you endured and join with the people who wronged you--that will be unbearably more painful."

"We don't know that Tokimo won't change her mind," Seisui murmured."She's my friend, after all."

Black Water hugged her affectionately. Seisui could see his legs, then his torso begin to spiral into the surrounding landscape. She could feel sobs racking her lungs as the dream scape began to disappear.

"I pray that you are right, Prodosia. But even if Tokimo should betray you, I will always stand beside you."

He disappeared, along with the landscape he had created. Seisui took a deep breath and wiped away her tears.

She knew that Tokimo would be at her house when she arrived. All she could do was face her, and hope that Black Water was wrong.

* * *

When Seisui arrived, time froze for a moment. They wouldn't look at each other. They were afraid to speak. Kouken had gone inside long ago, feeling that this was a conversation he was better left out of.

"Remember the bunny plushie you said you liked, way back when?" Tokimo held out the stuffed animal. "I got it for you. Takes back memories, right?"

Seisui smiled half-heartedly and took the plushie. "Yeah. That wasn't so long ago, but we've come a long way since then."

"I'm sorry about earlier," Tokimo managed to say. "I just don't want innocent people to die."

"I know you don't," Seisui said flatly.

"So let's just hold off killing Usako. Just for now, right? We can do it later. I promise!"

"How do you know there'll be a later, Tokimo?" Seisui murmured. "Chaos will keep coming back. Everyone knows that. And if that happens, innocent people will die."

Tokimo faltered.

"If you ask me," Seisui continued, "the reason that Chaos keeps coming back is because Sailor Moon exists. So if we killed her, we wouldn't have to worry about innocent people dying, because Chaos wouldn't be around to harm anyone. Whatever the Queen may say to the contrary, there are already deaths of murder and violence--why do we need Chaos to add onto that pile?"

"But...Nemesis is different than Chaos," Tokimo said.

"There's no reason to believe that," Seisui replied. "Quite the opposite. Every enemy before has been Chaos. Why should now be any different?"

"But that woman was going to die if Pinkmoon didn't save her!" Tokimo shouted. "You don't want someone to die, do you?"

"Yes, I do," Seisui snapped. "I do want someone to die. I want Sailor Moon to die, I want her daughter to die, I want the people that ruined my life to die, so that they can't ruin anyone else's'!"

"But Sailor Pinkmoon knows that purification is wrong!" Tokimo cried.

"Sure she does, Tokimo! Naturally, of course. But what about her daughter, Tokimo? We all know who that's going to be. And while she might not purify, I'm sure she'll be very gung-ho about the next best thing!"

"We'll kill her daughter. We'll make sure the line stops!" Tokimo said desperately.

"You know what won't work," Seisui replied. "We both know how Usako will feel about that. How can you expect her to kill her own daughter and accept it? It's hard enough to get anyone to do it--getting Usako to do it would be fruitless! You and I both agreed that she would make some ridiculous argument, like 'I can raise it out of her' or 'there's a little good in everyone.' Just look at how she insisted that I was her friend, even when I made it very clear that I felt otherwise!"

"But..." Tokimo paused. "I won't want good people to die. Only bad ones. We could just kill Usako's child anyway...after all, that's what we were planning with Usako."

"Besides, it's not like the royal family is a bunch of saints," Seisui reminded her. "And Usako is no exception. I thought you knew that. What about my father, huh? Do you doubt she would have done any differently than the rest of them?"

"I know about your father, Seisui! But that isn't going to happen anymore."

"How do you know, Tokimo?" she shouted. "They say that now, but what's to stop them if they change their minds?"

"I don't know," Tokimo admitted. "But--"

"That's right, Tokimo," Seisui interrupted. "You don't know. And you know what? I don't want to find out. I had to lose the most important thing in the world because they screwed up. And if they screw up again, there's going to be another person who suffered just like I did. I'd rather die than see that happen--and I think my actions have shown that pretty well. What about you, Tokimo?"

Tokimo clenched her fist. "People are going to die, Seisui. Don't you care?"

"I do care," she retorted. "That's why I want to get rid of Usako."

"It's not that simple!"

"No, it isn't, but someone's got to do it!" Seisui said, tears forming in her eyes. "Someone has to. Or else there will just be more and more tragedies! And I don't want anyone else to feel as lonely, miserable and pathetic as I do!"

"But Seisui, you're not--"

"Yes, I am, Tokimo," Seisui sobbed. "I am. It was never about being my friend. You just wanted to play hero. And you found someone else who could give you that, only better. What good am I anymore?"

"Seisui, that's not true!"

"Think what you like, Tokimo," Seisui murmured, tears streaming down her eyes. "But there's no way things can be the same anymore. Just leave me to my misery."

"Seisui, I can't--"

"GO!" She finally shouted. "I can't face you now! Just go," she sobbed, turning around and heading inside.

Tokimo stood there for a long while.

Then she bit her lip and walked away.

* * *

"Your holiness, I have a request to make of you."

The man knelt down respectfully as he dipped his head toward the ground. Oily turquoise curls encircled his face. One hand rested on his tunic, a pale sea green.

"What is it, Oceanus?" she said. Already he could sense her growing ennui. Since she had awakened from the statue, she had hardly moved from that chair. The rest of them had bolted for their mirrors, anxious to travel to Earth, which still had life and vigor. Nemesis seemed to relish in her self-constructed wasteland--a maze of Gothic pillars, dim stained glass windows and bizarre, gargoyle topped buttresses.

Little surprise there; she was, after all, the guardian of Nemesis.

"You know of Seisui Han'i, yes? She is the guardian of Titan. The one that awoke the palace."

"What about her, Oceanus? You're stationed in western Europe, remember? That's one of my most important fronts. There's quite a ruckus in Germany, you know. The Senshi can hardly keep their hands off each other's throats."

"Naturally, your holiness. I have worked quite hard to further conflict there. But if you don't mind my suggesting, Seisui's mental condition is extremely fragile."

"You're suggesting I drop a hint to Eros?" she asked, bemused.

"Actually, your holiness, I was considering the prospect of conversion. If Black Water is any indication, she is most easily manipulated."

Nemesis paused for a moment, drumming her fingers on her chair. Oceanus could feel a droplet of sweat forming on his forehead as she scrutinized him incredulously.

"Don't underestimate the guardian of Titan," she snapped. "Prodosia, whether she realizes it consciously or not, has known Black Water since she could walk. She knows that his concern is genuine. If we go to her, she'll know better. She's interested in revenge, not destruction."

"We could go to her in the guise of Black Water," he argued. "Convince her it wasn't worth going on. She's weak-willed, and easily swayed."

Oceanus gasped as a stinging sensation spread throughout his cheeks. He felt breathless and weak.

"First, Oceanus, Seisui is not your charge. She, along with the rest of Tokyo, is Eros' front. You are responsible for taking care of problems in Europe, which, I will remind you, is considerably west of Japan. The Senshi who dwell there have at least as many emotional problems as Seisui."

She paused. Her words hung like smoke in the air.

"Secondly, Seisui and Black Water have a powerful bond. If Seisui herself didn't detect the imposter, Black Water would, and I can assure you that such an apparition would be short-lived. Moreover, Seisui, though she is miserable, has a will that puts the lot of you to shame. Her purpose is simple: Destroy the queen and her heir. She might be willing to go to great lengths for such a goal, but taking the rest of the world with her is not one of them. I would expect you to realize this, gawking away at her in your mirror as you no doubt have done."

"Forgive me, your holiness," he murmured, his voice unfailingly servile.

"Out of my sight, Oceanus," she commanded. "I expected a keener form of ambition from you."

With that, he disappeared in a splash of water, leaving his queen to contemplate.

* * *

Sayoko had been perfectly content; she was spending a lovely spring afternoon with her ass planted on the couch, watching angst-filled, sweaty man Yaoi--until, of course, Yamiko barged in with a spatula in one hand, a death glare on her face and a cry of 'stop watching that smut and go get some groceries, Sayoko!'

However, despite Sayoko's clever comeback of 'You just want to watch it when I'm not around', Yamiko would not listen to reason. That, and Sayoko wanted supper tonight. And not instant curry--which, if she were doing the cooking, it would inevitably be.

So now she was at the grocery store, perusing the many aisles of dead, slaughtered animals and cruelly butchered vegetables. And, of course, spying for any hot guys that might come along. She was having good luck from the look of things, too. Right over in the veggy section, there was a very, very hot Adonis with with blonde hair and a black trench coat.

Hey, wait a second...

Sayoko walked up to the young man and jabbed her index finger into his back. He started a bit.

"Hey, Kane," she said with a grin. "Making friends with your fruits and veggies?"

Kane glanced behind him and smiled, evidently recognizing her. "No, they're making friends with me," he replied jokingly. "Yamiko's sister, right? Err...what was your name? I never forget a face, but I can't say the same for the name that goes with it."

Sayoko shrugged. "No biggie. Sayoko's the name, but you can call me Sayo. So how's it going? Made any leeway on winding down the angst-muffin?"

"Barely," he replied weakly. "I'm afraid our last chance meeting left Yamiko feeling quite put out."

"That would explain her bad attitude," Sayoko said with a wink. "Don't worry about it. Yamiko hasn't warmed up to anyone in all the years I've known her, except for maybe me. You've got quite a challenge ahead of you."

"Any suggestions?"

"Just be patient, really. And be thoughtful. I don't think Yamiko is really used to having anyone who thinks of her..." Sayoko sighed. "Even I left her to go to college. I had an obligation, but I still feel bad. I left her all alone at high school, and she's such a social wreck...I think she got picked on."

"They were probably just jealous," Kane said, picking out his vegetables. "Yamiko is very much the mysterious beauty."

"She has her own gothic-style charm," Sayoko agreed. Kane finished up his selections and moved on; Sayoko followed closely behind him, picking up the occasional box of spaghetti or appropriate seasoning. Tonight was Italian night. "And I really think she just wants to do the right thing. Problem is, she doesn't know what the right thing is. That, and she has strong sense of self-preservation."

"I get the feeling she had a hard time growing up," he said.

"Yeah. Ever since the 'rents passed away. That was right before high school. I was already in college by then, and right after they died, she was living in that huge mansion of ours all alone. So I boarded up the place for awhile and we got an apartment. Too many bad memories in a big house like that."

"A mansion, huh? I'm surprised. I didn't know Yamiko was well-to-do. I guess she tries not to be loud about it."

"Understandably. I'm not sure on the details, but she got a lot of abuse for being rich, especially after the 'rents died. Some of the meaner kids even accused us of murder."

"Murder?" Kane balked. "That seems a bit far!"

"Me and Yamiko didn't get along with our parents very well," Sayoko explained, cringing a bit. "I was the black sheep, and she was the golden child. Not that that made her any happier--that just meant expectations were higher for her, and if she failed, she got a lot of flak for it. Yamiko was into the whole goth scene long before her parents died, and, well...like I said, she's a gothic beauty, and there's something that's a bit mysterious and a more than a little creepy about the classic goth--and even as old as Junior High, the rumors can be cruel."

"Does that still go on?" Kane asked. "If you don't mind my asking, of course."

"No, I don't think so. Yamiko was going to private school while all of this happened. After she finished Junior High, she wanted to go to public school--I'm sure it was to escape the bullying. No one's bothered her since that, but I think she's still scared to death of getting to know anyone."

Kane nodded. "But it seems strange that Yamiko was so depressed about her parents, if they didn't get along. I'm not sure if I'd been too sorry if my parents kicked the bucket..."

Sayoko sighed. "It's sort of hard to explain," she said wearily. "Sometimes you go through life selfishly, and you take things for granted. It took a nasty price tag for Yamiko to realize how much mom and dad really loved her, even if they put her under too much pressure. And I think that if mom and dad had realized what was coming, they would have backed off. Too late to bother thinking about that now, though."

Kane paused for a moment. "You have a point, Sayoko. Thank you for sharing this with me. I realize it's intensely personal."

"Bah," Sayoko smiled, waving her hand. "It was nice to talk to you. I think that you could really reach out to Yamiko. She really needs someone right now." Sayoko paused, looking at the sparkling tiled floor. "To tell you the truth...I really think Yamiko is at the end of her rope. I try my best, but she needs someone besides me." Sayoko looked up at Kane. "I can tell you have a good heart, Kane, and I trust you. Please help my sister."

"Of course," Kane said gently. "I'll do my best." Kane reached into his pocket, as though he were reaching for something. "I--"

Kane paused. He looked nervous.

"Is something wrong?" Sayoko asked.

"No..." he murmured. "I just remembered that I forgot one of my bags at school. The one with my credit card," he admitted a bit bashfully. "But before I dart off like a madman, I want you to give this to Yamiko."

Kane pulled out a white piece of paper. It was an invitation--'You are Cordially Invited to the Serenity Fund Benefit Ball,' followed by the date and times--tomorrow at seven, to be exact. Sayoko raised her eyebrows. Looked high-class. "You're inviting Yamiko to this? Where did you get it?"

"My parents," he said with a smile. "I don't live with them anymore, but sometimes they still have to present me. Everyone knows they have an heir, and it would look weird if I didn't come."

Sayoko nodded in understanding. "I'll let her know. Are you going to pick her up?"

Kane nodded. "Yes. I'll be a bit early, though." He paused. "Do you have her measurements? I know Yamiko likes fashion, and I thought, if anything were a good present for her..."

Sayoko whistled. "A fancy dress, eh? Well, Yamiko's got plenty of money to blow on nice dresses, but I'm sure you'll whip up something extra special. Here," she said, pulling out a piece of paper and writing down Yamiko's three measurements.

Kane nodded. "I'll certainly try my best. Anyway, I better go. See you later, Sayoko."

Sayoko nodded. "Likewise."

With that, Kane bolted off on his way.

* * *

Fubuki cringed as Jirou's hand slammed across her face.

"What the fuck was that for?" Fubuki snarled, putting her hand on her cheek. "Just what the hell are you thinking?"

"Dammit, Fubuki, that's my question!" Jirou hissed. "What the hell are you thinking?! Don't you realize how fucked you are now? Everyone knows who you are! Soon the newspapers will be buzzing with this shit!"

"What are they gonna say?" Fubuki retorted. "Churchgoers' fat asses saved by god of violence? I saved those dipshits, even though they didn't deserve a fucking look. How the fuck I am I gonna get in trouble?"

"What about your mom, Fubuki? I doubt she's gonna be all fuckin' smiles! Do you realize what she's gonna do to you once she comes to her senses?"

"My mom hasn't got any senses, Jirou!" Fubuki sat down. Jirou's yard was ratty with weeds, bugs and a plethora of metal trash, but she hardly gave a shit. She had come all this way into the Burakumin district--aka, the shitty part of town that was full of people no one liked. Jirou had a funny way of being grateful. "My mom's gonna be holed up in her little house, stuck with nothing but five swimming pools, poor thing."

"She's gotta come to her senses eventually, you moron," Jirou retorted. He began to pace around energetically. "She's gotta fucking eat, make her pretty fortune, go to that god damned church."

"Not anymore," Fubuki said with a wicked grin. "Not after what I did. I imagine her fucking religion's gone down the drain by now."

"Yeah, well, she'll find a way to continue justifying her dumbass faith, I'm sure. Queen sugar-shit Serenity. She'll find a way to blame everything on you, just like she did when your dad died."

Fubuki frowned. She got up and stood in front of Jirou, staring down at him menacingly. "That's got nothing to do with what happened today, got it?"

"Like hell it doesn't," he replied, straightening himself up as well. "Your mom's fucking psycho. She'll make the youma into some innocent person, and you into their murderer. That's how crazy your mom is."

Fubuki knotted her face up as she delivered a punch to Jirou's stomach. He doubled back and clutched it uncomfortably. "Goddammit, keep your fucking mouth shut!"

"Make up your mind, Fubuki! What the hell do you think of your mother, anyway?"

Fubuki paused. "Doesn't matter anymore," Fubuki replied shortly. "She's gone for good, now. She'll be holed up in that fucking room forever--she should stayed the first time around."

"Her fat ass and her shiny money will lure her out, Fubuki. That's what I said the first time, and dammit, you know I'm right. And when she comes to her senses, it's off to private school with you. And there won't be a goddamn thing you can do about it."

"That's the beauty of it, though," Fubuki said, her scowl curling into a smile. "She knows what I am now. And if she tries to pull any crap, I've got this to wave in her face," Fubuki pulled out her locket and held it triumphantly in her hands. "Ain't gonna be one more goddamn thing she can do to me, or I'll send ice-sickles straight through her heartless body."

"Do you realize how much trouble you could get in for that? Murdering your own bitch mother?"

"Like I give a fuck. If she goes far enough to get herself killed, I won't have anything to lose. From now on, I call the shots. I don't give a fuck what she says, because if she gives me any shit, I'll throw it all back at her fucking face. Just like I wanted to all those god awful years."

"God dammit, Fubuki!" Jirou shouted, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her violently. "What the hell is wrong with you! You'll get yourself fucking purified!"

"Not anymore, I won't," she said, grinning wickedly. "Her prissiness knows what it does now, and she's too fucking nice to do it, of course. No, they'll just throw me in prison. And if they do, so what? Ain't no goddamn prison that can hold me in. Not anymore."

"Fucking crazy," Jirou said with a sigh, letting go of her shoulders. "You're gonna get yourself fucking killed. And then what the hell am I gonna do?"

Fubuki smiled. "Don't worry. My mom's a fucking coward. She'll fold the first time I pull out my locket."

"I sure as hell hope you're right, Fubuki," Jirou mumbled. "You never listen to me, anyway."

Fubuki laughed. She felt lighter than air.

For the first time in her life, she called the shots.

* * *

_"GO! Just go._

_Just go._

Seisui...

It can't end like this, can it? Tokimo sat down, looking into the ocean. She threw a stray rock into the sea.

_There's no way things can be the same anymore._

Why shouldn't there be a way? Her and Seisui were Senshi together. They worked together so hard, tried for so long. For justice. To help people. Why didn't Seisui see how important it was to help people?

_It was never about being my friend. You just wanted to play hero. And you found someone else who could give you that, only better. What good am I anymore?_

"I do want to be the hero," Tokimo murmured, throwing another rock into the sea. "But I wanted us to be heroes together. I wanted you to fight with me!"

There didn't have to be a choice. There shouldn't be a choice! She could be Seisui's friend and fight evil. She could save innocent people and go with Seisui to the movies the next day! Where was the conflict in that?

_Someone has to. Or else there will just be more and more tragedies!_

They could kill Usako later...why couldn't she see that? There didn't have to be a choice!

Another rock plopped into the sea.

But there was a choice. Seisui was making her make a choice. The choice was be friends with her and kill Usako, or be enemies and save innocent lives.

"I don't want to make a choice!" Tokimo shouted. She could hear the waves slapping against the boats in the wharf. "I don't want to make a choice, Seisui! I don't want to give up our friendship, and I don't want to give up anyone's life!" Tokimo stood up, her throat obstructed by a cold, hard lump. "I don't want to make a choice," she murmured, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't make me make a choice. Please don't make me a make a choice..."

Innocent people are going to die, Seisui. Don't you care...?

She threw a final rock toward the sea. It bounced off a pole in the wharf instead, flying into the side of a boat before falling into the water.

Avenging her father's purification--destroying purification forever--was more important to Seisui than anything. More important than innocent people, than saving lives. More important than their friendship.

Because of that, Tokimo had to make a choice.

Tokimo choked on her own tears as she began to walk home, knowing--with complete and utter misery--her choice.

* * *

The image of blood filled Erik's mind.

They told him that he was the Crimson Eagle. He knew it was true. He had gone home after the battle, and reached into his coat. He pulled out the iron mask. He remembered, this time, for sure.

Other knowledge was coming to him, cold and unwilling. It almost seemed to flow in two directions. As he began to remember things he had done in his past life, his past life was affecting his judgment now. He knew that he couldn't abandon his sworn duty this time around.

His mother had pleaded with him not to get involved when Diana came to power. It was a mad quest, she had told him. There was no hope. But he had wanted to stop the conflict, convince the sides to reunite, tell them to ignore Diana's bid for power and stay together. No one had listened. Desperate as the war came to an end, he searched for the priests, trying to find answers. The priests knew everything about the moons, planets, and holy lands they belonged to. But they had disappeared, and no one knew where they were or what had happened to them. He became even more despondent.

The image of blood filled up the crevices of his mind once more. He didn't know who or what had reincarnated him, but he would atone for his mistakes. He would make sure that no Moon Senshi died this time.

Kahlan...when he had returned to Triton to see his mother, her bones, bleached white, were all that remained.

_"Erik...don't worry about becoming the Crimson Eagle. You can be the king and heir of Triton. You don't have to pick up this duty. You can represent your moon! Nothing but idiot tradition is stopping you."_

_"I want to, mother," _he had said. He was only ten at the time. _"Father has told me the sacred duty of Knights. If I do not display my allegiance to Triton, I will be the protector of all Moons, all planets...all Senshi. I can be far more admirable by being the Crimson Eagle than I can by being the Prince of Triton!"_

His mother pleaded with him out of love. If he had listened to her, he could have avoided his mad quest to resolve the bloody war. But he would have abandoned his honor and his duty.

And even abandoning his duty and representing Triton would not have stopped her death. There was nothing he could do. He ended his own life. Its end, like everything he had done, was futile.

"What are you thinking, moping around on the porch like that?" a voice chided him.

Erik looked up. He had been staring at the bottom of his deck, his rocking chair moving sedately back and forth. When he looked up, he jumped at the sight of a gyrfalcon.

Gyrfalcons were native to the north Arctic, Erik knew, and definitely did not belong anywhere in Japan. Especially not two hours out of Tokyo.

Erik stared blankly at the bird for a moment. The bird stared wryly back.

"At least I have you intrigued now," the voice, definitely female, continued. "Step one: Stop moping. Mission accomplished! Step two: coherent thought and/or sentence. Still working on that one."

"Who are you, and why are you here?"

"Got step two down! Step three: Introductions. I'm Ikkoku. No particular reason."

"Then why are you bugging me? Isn't it a bit odd to be a talking gyrfalcon in Tokyo?"

Ikkoku opened a wing and began preening her feathers. "You looked lonely," she said, refolding her wing. "Thought you should--er, could--use some company. Isn't 280 a bit old not to even have a wife? Let alone kids or grandkids..."

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Erik replied indignantly.

"Never worked out with that special someone, eh, Erik?" she teased him.

"I never really got far enough to call anyone a special someone," Erik replied. "But it's none of your business. How do you know my name, anyhow?"

"I've been watching you on and off for a while."

"And you're just now talking to me?" he replied.

"Okay, so maybe 'on and off' is more like an hour or two. Like, since you left school. And since you've taken out your wallet in that time to pay for a train ticket, I've seen your driver's license, which means that I know your name is Erik vonDarkmoor, and you were born on May 18th in 2728. From there I just did some math."

"Uh-huh," Erik said, humoring the bird.

"In any case, it didn't even take me two hours to realize you're hiding from something."

"Hiding from something?"

"Yeah. Holing yourself up in the woods like this, moping about your troubles alone...so what were you moping about, anyway?"

"It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago," he explained wearily.

"Not long enough not to mope, evidently," she continued. "Where are your friends, huh? Don't you have some friends?"

"You sure are nosy," Erik snapped.

"You mean, 'No, Ikkoku, I don't have any friends but you,'" she chided.

"I've half a mind to throw a rock at you. Go away."

"What about the Moon Senshi? Bet they'd make good friends, if you talked to them."

"They wouldn't understand," he said with a sigh. "They're too dead set on their own problems."

"You mean the youma? That will be as much your problem as theirs. Seems like a good common interest, if nothing else," she replied, grinning--if such a thing were possible for a gyrfalcon. "And I know of at least one Moon Senshi who needs some help in true knightly fashion."

Erik raised an eyebrow. "You figured all of this out in two hours?"

"Eh, give or take a week or two."

"Who are you, anyway?"

"A magical talking falcon native to the northern arctic taking a leisurely stroll through Japan?"

"You'll have to do better than that," he said.

"No I don't. You still haven't told me why you're moping. You know, despite the fact that you're a Knight and committed to helping Moon Senshi and all that jazz, you haven't done much more than make yourself a living wall between them and whatever you're trying to protect. Here's a plan! Instead of standing between Seisui and Chibi-Usa the good ol' fashioned physical way, why not fix some of Seisui's twisted, bitter revenge complex, and stop giving her reasons to kill Chibi-Usa?"

"That would be using her," Erik objected. "And it would be breaking the code. I'm supposed to protect all the Senshi equally, not pick favorites when it's convenient."

"It wouldn't be using her, because I know that you really do want to help her out," Ikkoku said matter-of-factly. "And that god-damned code is all that's keeping you from reaching a hand out to someone who really needs some guidance. Why not--gasp--take a chance, and get emotionally attached to someone?"

"Since when are you my shrink?"

"Since now."

"You sound like you're trying to set me up."

"I'm not setting you up. You just need to freaking talk to someone for once."

"I'm talking to you."

"Besides me, I mean."

"I'm making myself dinner now," Erik said with a sigh, opening his back door and going inside.

"Can I have some? I'm starving," Ikkoku said, barely slipping in the door before it unceremoniously slammed shut.

* * *

Seisui could hardly breathe.

She sat down at the plastic table, breathing through her mouth. She periodically gulped. She spread her palms across the table, looking down at the tiny scratches in the plastic tabletop.

"It's all...over..." she managed to stutter. She began gasping uncontrollably. Tokimo was her only friend. Her only friend. The only friend she had--the only friend she had ever had. But even that was a lie. Tokimo had just been using her. Using her to be something her manga told her was glamorous.

But there was nothing glamorous about Seisui. There were sad things, pathetic things, unhappy things, tragic things. Nothing glamorous, or happy, or triumphant. Or heroic. Even when she was heroic, there was no one cheering for her--and to Tokimo, that was the important part.

Being Tokimo's friend would mean forgetting everything she had fought for up until now. It would mean betraying her father's memory.

That would hurt infinitely more than being alone and remembering.

"Feeling sorry for yourself, Seisui?"

Seisui glanced up from the table. Ana looked down at her, a dark expression covering her face. Seisui was still gasping too much to even bother trying to speak.

"You know, Seisui, I can tell from the look on your face that you think your life is so bad. You're thirteen years old, so hey, you figure, you're the victim here. Nobody's life could possibly be as bad as yours."

"I-I-It cou-could've been worse," Seisui stuttered. "Cou-coulda b-b-b-been p-pu-pu--"

"You know, Seisui, you were so caught up out there trying to make daddy proud that you forgot you had two other--healthy--family members. Ever think of how things were for us all this time? If anything goes wrong in class, everyone blames me. All of my gym clothes have been burned by classmates. Sometimes I come home with black eyes--once I almost broke my arm--because people beat me up. Because of you. Sure, they did it before, but ever since you became a Sailor Senshi, things have been a hell of a lot worse. But you're too busy sitting here feeling sorry for yourself to give a shit."

Seisui could feel a painful lump gathering in her throat as she trembled.

"No more shit, okay? I'm sick of hearing mom cry at night when you're asleep. Just keep yourself quiet like the rest of the family, and maybe someday they'll forget."

"I won't forget," Seisui whispered. "I'll never forget."

"Yeah, well, you can remember whatever you want," Ana spat. "Just remember it quietly. Dad is purified. There's nothing we can do about that, no matter how much you make us all look bad."

"I'll never forget..."

"Goddammit, Seisui!" Ana shouted. "Don't you understand? I've almost been killed by my own classmates! Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they did, and the teachers turned a blind eye! No one gives a shit about us. Can't you see that? If you keep this insanity up, you'll just endanger all of us! Mom most of all. She might lose her job!"

Seisui clenched her fist and said nothing.

"If you don't shut the hell up, I'll do what I can to make you. That's the least I can do to protect mom. I just wish you cared about her, too."

"Why now?" Seisui finally replied in a hoarse whisper. "Why say all this now?"

"Last night I heard mom talking on the phone," Ana said, her voice wavering. "It sounds like they might fire her."

Seisui rested her head on the table, cradled between her arms as she began to gasp again. Ana left the room without another word.

_"You're not my daddy!"_

She couldn't stay quiet now. She couldn't let the royal family get away with it. She couldn't resign herself to apathetic silence.

It hurt to remember...but it would hurt more to forget.

* * *

"How was school, Kazeko?"

Kazeko's stepmother looked away from...whatever she was doing...something with papers. She looked away from that and toward her, a kindly smile on her face.

"Uhh...good," Kazeko mumbled. "Good."

"Have you made any friends?" her stepmother asked. "You don't have to be so quiet, you know. Take a few chances!"

"Uhh...yeah, I've met some people," Kazeko replied quickly. "Anyway, I have homework, so..."

"Wait a second, Kazeko. Who are your new friends?"

Kazeko was quickly realizing she would have been better off not mentioning this. "Well...uhh...I don't remember their names. We just met, you know."

Kazeko's stepmother looked aghast. Kazeko just looked confused. That wasn't so weird, was it?

"Well...we just met, so...so I don't know them that well yet. I'll find out...sometime. I uh...I uh...I better go...study," Kazeko finally managed to say, her stepmother's eyes still on her.

Kazeko got up and headed toward her room, closing the door behind her and firmly locking it. She walked over to her bed--thankfully, it was not a Japanese-style futon--and lay down, trying to open her mind's eye.

_"We're going to die!"_ _she screamed. Her advisors looked toward her fearfully._

_"Calm down, Oreithya! Why do you come here with such a damnation?"_

_"I can see it..." she muttered, her eyes widening fearfully. "The Queen of Luna's prophecy...all of us will die...we will be forgotten, less than a memory...that fearful white light will engulf Sol..."_

_"Someone quiet her down!" the advisor cried, motioning with a robed sleeve to a guard. "She'll cause far too much alarm. No one must know of such a prophecy!"_

_"Oh, Cosmos!" she screamed, her eyes framed with tears. "Oh, Cosmos, save us--"_

_A hand clamped over her mouth, and everything went dark._

When Kazeko's eyes opened, she was clinging onto her pillow as if it were somehow keeping her mind afloat.

What could such a frightening vision mean...?

* * *

Seisui's shoulders were slumped over, her head facing the ground. Tokimo couldn't help being depressed as she saw her. How many times had Seisui come to school like that? And whenever she walked alone, she always looked down...as if she was afraid of what might be standing ahead of her. She'd trip if she kept that up...

"Hey, Seisui!" Tokimo shouted cheerfully, hoping maybe Seisui had forgotten about yesterday's argument. She put a hand on Seisui's shoulder. "What's up? Did you bring Kouken with you this time?"

"Yeah," Seisui said tersely. She still didn't look up, which was unusual. Usually she looked up when Tokimo said something. "Here, you can take him."

Tokimo watched as Seisui pulled Kouken out of her bag by the scruff of the neck and offered him unceremoniously toward her. He looked surprisingly sedate for that kind of abuse. He didn't even look angry. In fact, he looked like he might have had one two many doses of sedative...those made you depressed, right? Tokimo looked at him quizzically for a moment and then took him, stuffing him rather unceremoniously into her bag.

"So...you hear the news last night? I guess they're starting to find other Sailor Senshi. There's a whole bunch in Germany, and I heard--"

"I have to get to class," Seisui mumbled, walking away briskly.

Tokimo desolately watched her leave. Maybe trying to stay friends was a lost cause...she shook her head. No...there was hope. It might take awhile. Might take months. There was hope! They hadn't gone through all this just to--

"Hey, Tokimo...about Seisui..." Koukan began reluctantly. His voice was muffled inside the bag.

"She just needs time, right? She'll be okay in a couple of days. Seisui's more resilient than she looks."

"Yesterday, Ana blew up at Seisui. I think she'd been holding it in for a while--Ana, I mean--and she just sort of hit breaking point...that was just after you'd left. I think Seisui's on her last legs."

"Well, I'll have to cheer her up, then!" Tokimo said in determination, holding up a triumphant fist. "She can't be sad forever!'

Kouken paused. "Maybe it's best if you leave her alone," he finally said.

"What? No way!" Tokimo replied indignantly. "I can't just give up. We've been through too much for that." Tokimo paused pensively for a moment before continuing on. "I'll admit...yesterday evening, I was discouraged...I was even giving up. But...that won't help anything, will it? Even if Seisui says she won't be my friend anymore, I'll find a way to be her friend. I'll find a way to change her mind! We have been through too much...too much for her to really hate me now."

They were both silent for a moment. Titan was a moon known for bearing grudges and exacting revenge, Kouken thought--Seisui was a person known for bearing grudges and exacting revenge. It didn't seem like there was much hope...but then, the miracle may have been Tokimo's becoming friends with Seisui in the first place.

"There's Kazeko," Tokimo said, changing the subject. "She's the one you think might be a Senshi."

"I can definitely feel it," Kouken told her as the familiar tingling sensation crawled up his back. "How long until class?"

"Ummm..." Tokimo looked down at her watch. She had to think a minute to read it. Stupid analog clocks. She knew it was worth going the extra mile to find a purple digital one..."About ten minutes."

"Good," Kouken said approvingly. "We have plenty of time to talk to her."

"Aye aye, cap'n!" Tokimo said enthusiastically, running after Kazeko. This time nothing could go wrong. After all, Kazeko's personality was practically saint-like! Tokimo wasn't quite sure what any saints were like, except for Queen Serenity. But she was sure most of them were way better than her.

"Hey, Kazeko!" Tokimo shouted, running towards her enthusiastically. "Can I talk to you for a second? It's important."

_Even if you don't think you are a Sailor Senshi, I think there's a possibility..._

Kazeko's heart beat uncomfortably. "Uh...sure," she replied, thinking no.

"Great! Let's go," Tokimo said, grabbing her hand. "This shouldn't take too long."

"But...class..." Kazeko said, hoping desperately for an escape.

"Isn't starting anytime soon. You're right!" Tokimo finished, walking behind the pool. Nobody was there this time of day--a perfect spot! "Now, let me see..." Tokimo fished through her bag and pulled out Kouken, who looked more than thankful to be out of her backpack.

"See, this is Kouken. He's--"

"An animal spirit...?" Kazeko said nervously. "Why is he--"

"He's a ferret, not a spirit or dead or anything," Tokimo said authoritatively. "And he has something important to tell you, even if he is a duffer."

"If it's about Seisui...I'm only a mortal. I can't really help her, I don't think...I'm not powerful enough."

"You certainly don't have to worry about being powerful enough," Kouken said. Kazeko didn't even flinch as he began to speak, which was alternatively reassuring and disturbing. "Because you're a Moon Senshi." A circle glowed in front of him, and a beautiful brooch--lavender and a bluish, tanzanite hue of purple--appeared before her.

For a moment, Kazeko's face was blank. She did not speak. A look of disbelief and fear slowly swept across her face; then it slowly faded away, replaced by a dead-set certainty.

"No," she said at last. Her voice was neither terrified, shocked or angry; she said it matter-of-factly. It was self-evident.

"Whether or not you want to be a Moon Senshi, Kazeko, that is simply the truth," Kouken told her firmly. "If not, the brooch would not have appeared. Think about this for a moment. Doesn't it almost seem familiar somehow? Part of you must know that this is the truth."

_"We're going to die!" _

_"Someone quiet her down! She'll cause far too much alarm...!" _

_"I can see it..." she muttered, her eyes widening fearfully. "The Queen of Luna's prophecy...all of us will die... _

_A hand clamped over her mouth, everything was dark... _

_"Let me out!" she screamed, shaking the bars of her prison. "Cosmos! Chaos! Arbiter, Nebula! Let me out!" _

_"Such prophecies will cause unrivaled panic," her advisor snapped. "If we let you out, nothing good can come of it!" _

_"I have to do something!" she screamed. "Everyone is going to die!" _

_"Deidre!" _

_"Mom...I can't breathe...Mom, what's going on?" _

_"You and Iain need to run away," she said gently, putting her hand on her Deidre's head. She coughed; her face was usually fair, but it was red and flushed in the heat. The fire was spreading quickly through the hallway. Deidre could see some men through the bay windows, their red robes blending eerily with the rapidly growing fire. "Go through the basement. They won't expect you to leave that way. Have Iain help you with the door, and make sure no one's out back when you leave." _

_"Come with me, mommy!" she pleaded, tugging on her calico dress. _

_"I...can't..." she said with a cough. Deidre could feel a lump rising to her throat as her mother fell downward, a red patch rapidly spreading across her back. Deidre could hear a scream coming from outside. _

_"Where's dad?" Deidre shouted. Her mother did not respond... _

...Red...no...she couldn't be a Senshi...at that time...she was so helpless...

"Are you okay?" Tokimo asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Kazeko? Are you crying...?"

"I'll be fine," Kazeko replied, her voice a hoarse whisper. "I...don't feel so well."

"Hey, wait up!" Tokimo shouted as Kazeko began to run away. Tokimo ran after her, but as she turned the street corner, Kazeko was gone--faster than any normal human could run.

_EPISODE TWELVE: FIN_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Tokimo**: Please listen to me! You can't run away forever...

**Usako**: Won't you give up, Seisui? Is there anything I can do?

**Erik**: I can see your eyes fill with hatred. I can see you suffering--the eyes of my youth. I must keep my distance...but there must be something I can do to save you...

**Yamiko**: I don't even like you! I don't want you around. But I can't sit back and watch him hurt you!

**Kane**: I could have just lost them...I could have thrown them away...I have to remember that she's just like the others! In the end, they're all the same...

**Mayumi**: No way...It can't be...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Ganconer"_

Everyone needs a little forgiveness.


	13. Episode Thirteen: The Ganconer

"Mayumi," a voice called. Mayumi turned her head abruptly toward the voice--it was her father--and, in the process, yanked her thin silver hair from her stylists' grasp. 'Nice color, bad body' was the consensus among them--and a rigorous program of volumizing conditioner, teasing and deceptive hair styles were employed to compensate. Mayumi was seldom seen on stage with her hair down. She looked at him with a pouty expression, her red eyes lending a creepy edge to the glance.

"Mayumi," her father repeated, "something's come up. I need you to come with me tomorrow to the Serenity Fund Benefit Ball. It's after school, so--"

"I thought I told you I wanted tomorrow off," she said, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "I worked really hard this week, daddy. I was looking forward to getting some sleep. I realize that being an idol isn't about lounging, but--"

"Mayumi, this is important. The Serenity Fund gives more money to charity than any other organization in the world. If you don't go, it will make you look avaricious. The tabloids will have all sorts of rumors printed before the ball's even over."

"But I donated thousands of dollars to the Serenity Fund!" Mayumi protested. "Going to the ball doesn't make me any more generous."

"It does in the eyes of your fans. They don't know how much you've been donating. You have a reputation to uphold."

Mayumi sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'll go."

"That's my Mayumi! You're always making me so proud. There aren't many girls as dedicated as you. Well, I better arrange things for the ball. Good luck! I'm sure, as always, you'll have the audience cheering for more." With that, her father pulled out his cell phone and happily left Mayumi's dressing room.

"They really do appreciate how hard you work, Mayumi," her stylist told her, picking up where she had left off on the bun in Mayumi's hair.

"I know, Kana," Mayumi replied sadly. "But I really just wanted some sleep. Now I won't get back home until late on Tuesday, and I have to get up at five the next day."

She grinned. "Well, you know, no one said that being famous was easy."

Mayumi never said that she wanted to be famous, either. She'd rather be studying at a friends' house while cramming her face full of pocky like any normal high school kid. But it was no use thinking about it. She was here now, and she had to make the best of things. Mayumi touched her chest lightly; concealed beneath her dress was her compact. Only Mayumi knew about it. She always carried it with her, preferably in front of her heart. Just in case. Mayumi grabbed a watch from her dresser and fastened it to her wrist.

"Recently you've just insisted on wearing that watch," Kana remarked. "You really should wear something else for a change."

"No!" Mayumi replied, grabbing her wrist protectively. Kana looked at her oddly; Mayumi responded with a sheepish smile, realizing her response was a bit alarming. "It's lucky," she explained, letting go of her wrist. "I don't feel right without it. Just in case, you know?"

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Kana asked.

"Errrr..I...found it on the street. It's pretty, isn't it? Someone must have lost it. I figure if I wear it onstage, someone might recognize it and let me know it's theirs."

Kana still looked a little unconvinced. "Whatever you say, Mayumi," she finally responded. "If it makes you feel better, I don't see why not. Well, good luck onstage. We're all cheering for you!" Kana gave her an encouraging pat on the back; Mayumi returned a charming smile, briefly smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress before walking through the backstage hall and confidently on stage for her latest concert.

* * *

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru  
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Thirteen:

"The Ganconer"

* * *

"You know, Ikkoku, they don't allow pets in school," Erik said impatiently, walking toward Goban high.

"That must bite," she said, still following him.

"That means you, Ikkoku. You are not allowed in school."

Ikkoku sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll have to keep watch from outside. I hope there's a branch near your classroom."

"Ikkoku, you can't keep watch from outside. You'd be too conspicuous. What if someone noticed you?"

"What, me? Ikkoku the ninja?"

"Yes, you. Now get lost, Ikkoku. Feel lucky that I let you stay at my house!" Erik snapped, shooing her away with his hand. Ikkoku flapped her wings and deftly dodged his cruel assault, returning to his shoulder soon afterward.

"Someone's got to keep an eye on you, Erik," Ikkoku said, an uncharacteristic note of seriousness in her voice. "Make sure you don't do anything stupid. Today you're facing the Moon Senshi for the first time since they've found out the truth. They're going to have a lot of questions for you."

"I don't need to answer their questions," he said stubbornly. "I'm a knight. My identity is supposed to be a secret. My motives are also supposed to be a secret."

"You can't just bury your head in the sand and hope that no one notices you, Erik," Ikkoku told him. "It's too late for that now. It was too late before you began, and it isn't good for you. Stop focusing on the etiquette and the cool superhero costume, and start thinking about your actual job. You're supposed to protect the Senshi, Erik, not avoid them. Look, there she is."

Erik turned in the direction that Ikkoku's beak was pointing; Seisui was crossing the street--oddly enough, she was walking away, not toward, school. She looked forward, but her mind was somewhere else. Her face looked a little red. He frowned. "What about it?" he said darkly.

"Oh, bother. Look, I'll stay here. You go do something heroic for a change." Ikkoku flew away, perching herself deep in the nearest tree. Erik continued walking forward. He was on a collision course with Seisui.

"Hey," Erik said. Soon, he was only a couple of feet away from her. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You look..." He paused for a moment, struggling with words. Stupid bird. "Unhappy..." he trailed off pathetically.

Seisui looked at him. Her face was a blatant beacon of her innermost feelings--what, to her, must seem like an unfathomable tragedy. Erik, on the other hand, had plenty of experience with this sort of emotion. "What do you know?" she said weakly. "Or rather, what do you care?"

"Because..." 'my pet falcon told me to?' Pathetic. Is this the most he could help someone? "...because it's my duty."

"Your duty?" Seisui said skeptically. "It was your duty to keep me from getting what I needed. Now that I can't possibly win, you've come back to help me? How could that possibly make sense?"

"Because you're miserable, Seisui. Any moron can see that. I don't know what happened between now and yesterday, but..." he paused. Seisui looked away. "..It's about Tokimo, isn't it? You had a fight with her, didn't you?"

Seisui bit her lip and looked up at Erik in frustration. "I can't be anyone's friend without being fake," she finally said. "Is that what my life is destined to be? Everyone around me is just trying to be what they want to be, playing pretend. Pretending they care when they don't or pretending they don't care when they do, or trying to be something they're not...even you, Erik, even you can't face up to who you really are. I have the gall to embrace the person I know I am, to pursue what's important to me, but I'm just punished over and over. I..." She paused. She was breaking down now, and she covered her face in embarrassment, to hide her tears. Erik put an arm around her and began walking toward a bench. Seisui weakly followed him.

"I don't even know what I'm talking about," she continued as she sat down, gasps racking her lungs. "I just...what is there...I don't know."

"Sometimes, the things we want will never be available to us, no matter what we do," Erik said. "I've lived over a hundred years, and I can't claim that more than a handful of those years were genuinely happy. I've had to give up on things I realized weren't possible, even though I wanted them so badly." Erik paused. Seisui tried to breathe; her tears were still flowing.

"I don't want to forget," Seisui protested. "I'll never forget."

"You don't have to forget," Erik said. "But you can't keep punishing yourself or telling yourself to do things that might not be possible."

"But what about Diana? We can't just ignore that!"

"No, we can't. You're right. But we need to take these things as they come. We all realize how important Diana is, but think about it this way. What if you killed Usako, and the next victim the youma took was your mother? Wouldn't you feel responsible?"

"But the reason Nemesis came is because of Usako's crystal. It attracts Chaos!" she protested.

"Even if you killed her, I think it's too late now to hope that Nemesis would just leave. That would just make Usako's crystal more available to her. You'd have to destroy the crystal, too--no mean feat--and even then, who knows? They might corrupt the world out of spite. You have to deal with this problem first. Who knows what could happen if your family were caught in the crossfire?"

Seisui said nothing. She was still crying.

"I have to go teach class now," Erik said. "But consider yourself excused for the day. I don't expect you to be up for class. I don't think you expect yourself to be up for class, either, judging from the direction you were heading." He got up. "Try to be strong, for your own sake. Know when to choose your battles."

Erik got up from the bench and walked toward the school. Seisui stayed behind, her hands covering her flushed face.

"'Know when to choose your battles?'" Ikkoku repeated, flying out from the bushes and landing on Erik's shoulder. "That's a good one, coming from the Amazing Human Shield."

"Shut up," was Erik's sole response.

* * *

Kazeko swallowed deeply as she began to regain her breath. She could still hear the wind whispering in her ears, taunting her with things she already knew.

"They do not lie," she could hear it murmur, "they do not lie, they do not lie..."

"I know!" Kazeko snapped, drawing the attention of passersby, who looked uncomfortably in her direction. Kazeko looked around; although the area was covered in concrete, a single, huge oak tree was growing in front of an office building, its lower branches sprawling outwards. Kazeko walked nonchalantly toward the tree, jumped up, and promptly began scaling its branches; this attracted even more attention, but Kazeko didn't care. The novelty wore off soon enough and people continued on their way, leaving Kazeko concealed in the sweeping branches of the tree.

Yes. She knew the locket was real; what the animal spirit had said was true. It was awful, of course, but it made sense. Even in her youth, she could control the air spirits easily, get them to do her favors. While even high druids struggled with their capricious nature, Kazeko was easily able to control them and receive their knowledge.

_We're going to die..._

Yes...that as well, the constant nightmares over the past few days, and the troubled fortunes since she left.

...Iain...

Kazeko clasped her hands together, and a soft light glowed within. Her brooch, purple tanzanite and lavender, appeared in her hands, along with a watch-style communicator in the same colors. This was what things came down to. Holding this in her hands meant everything she had done until now was a lie. She spent hours each day praying to Dannu, Morrigan, Scathach, thinking that they would bring her good fortune and enlightenment.

"The gods were supposed to be my guidance. If I am one of them, then who do I look to now? Do I pray to myself? How can I look to myself for answers when I couldn't even accomplish the things that were truly important to me?" She paused, rubbing her thumb absent-mindedly over her brooch. "Without Mom or Dad or Iain or even Dannu to look up to, who's left..?" Kazeko closed her palms over her brooch. Now she was truly lost. She put the brooch away.

A crawl reached across Kazeko's spine. A feeling of darkness and hatred crawled through her.

"Black Water..." the wind whispered vaguely.

"Seisui..." Kazeko responded. But where? She looked around quickly for the direction the dark, feverish heartbeat pounded from. "Over there..."

Kazeko quickly climbed down from the tree; there was no need to search for Seisui. She was alone; she sat on a bench, her face blank. She was talking to Black Water; Kazeko was sure of it. "...What are they saying?" she murmured to herself.

Kazeko's eyes widened. The feeling, the slinking darkness, all but disappeared--Seisui looked tired, her face flushed, her eyes puffy.

"What happened...?" Kazeko murmured vaguely.

* * *

"Tokimo!" Usako shouted, running after her and dodging through a huge clump of students who were apparently anxious to get home.

Tokimo turned around; Usako was soon on the receiving end of a very weak smile. "Hey," Tokimo replied. "You look worried."

"I look worried? You look terrible. But listen. Do you know where Seisui is? I haven't seen her around all day."

"I saw her this morning. She said she was going to class, but she never showed up. I think she must have left. Erik came in unusually late, even for him, though...hmmm...inspector Tokimo smells something fishy!" she mused to herself and began looking through the crowd--one hand shaded her eyes as her head darted back and forth. This was rather puzzling, Usako thought, considering that it was cloudy outside.

"Wait, Tokimo! I need to talk to you," Usako said, grabbing Tokimo's shoulder before she was permanently lost in the crowd.

"Huh? What what?" she asked, dropping her hand.

"Did Seisui...has she...come around?"

Tokimo face darkened. "The last time I talked to her, she didn't seem to understand or even want to understand. Things haven't changed since then, as far as I know."

Usako sighed. Hiroshi--evidently too slow for Usako--was just now approaching them, winded and out of breath. "I told you to wait up," he said with difficulty.

"Usako...I'm never one to encourage someone to be quitter. But...I'm not sure that Seisui is going to be your friend any time soon. I'm not sure she's going to be my friend any time soon." Tokimo shook her head. "Besides, we're still the Moon Senshi, Usako. Once this is over, we have a job to do." With that, Tokimo ran off--effectively ensuring that Usako didn't get a word in before her departure.

"What happened?" Hiroshi asked, regaining his composure.

"Nothing's happened," Usako said bluntly. "That's the problem."

* * *

"Erik!" Tokimo shouted, barreling toward him. "Hey! Mr. vonDarkmoor! Grumpy-Dump! Man in the Iron Mask!"

"Would you shut up?" Erik politely requested, turning toward her. "Why not get up on a podium and tell the whole school?"

"You sure? That might compromise your identity," Tokimo said seriously.

"What do you want, anyway?"

"Did you talk to Seisui at all this morning?" she asked. "You came in later than normal, and she never showed up for class." Tokimo craned her neck toward him, standing on her tip toes in order to better approach his face. "Didn't hurt anyone's feelings, did we? You'd better tell the truth. Either way, Inspector Tokimo will crack the case!"

"Have you been talking to her?" Erik said, looking away from Tokimo and toward a nearby tree.

"Me? No! Never!" a woman's voice responded. "Really this time. I don't even know Tokimo that well. I haven't been spying on her like I have you."

Tokimo looked toward the tree, astounded. "Wow! Erik, that tree is talking! And you know it! And it knows me! And I thought Kouken was unusual."

"A tree?!" The voice retorted, flabbergasted. "I assure you, I am not a tree." Tokimo watched as a really, really big bird flew out of the tree and onto Erik's shoulder. It was white. And it looked kinda like an eagle.

"Wow, a white eagle!" Tokimo said excitedly. "I've never seen one of those before. Why do you get your own talking animal, huh Erik? I want one, too."

"What about me?!" Kouken said irritably, his voice muffled in Tokimo's bag. He took this opportune time to poke his head out of her backpack.

"I have to share you," Tokimo responded. "Erik gets his very own."

"You can have her," Erik responded dryly.

"Hey!" the bird snapped. "Sorry, Erik, but whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. And by the way, I am not an eagle. I'm a falcon. A gyrfalcon. And my name is Ikkoku."

"Nice to meet you, Ikkoku," Tokimo said. "Now stop trying to distract me, criminal! Inspector Tokimo asked you a question. Where were you this morning when Seisui disappeared?"

"He was talking to her," Ikkoku replied. "You're very observant. I forced him to be knightly for a change and help someone."

"If he was helping her, then why wasn't she in class?" Tokimo asked, eyeing Erik suspiciously.

"She had a lot on her mind," Erik responded. "She was very upset. She wasn't up for it."

"Well, which was it? Did she have a lot on her mind, or was she very upset?" Tokimo asked.

"Both," Erik replied. "But I think she might be backing off for a while."

"You mean--"

"Yes," Ikkoku replied. "She probably won't go for Usako's jugular, at least for the time being."

"But..." Tokimo trailed off. What did Erik say that had convinced Seisui to give up on killing Usako? Nothing Tokimo had said did any good. Seisui hardly knew Erik, and what little she knew she disliked. She frowned.

"But what?" Erik asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Thanks, Erik. Who knows what woulda happened if you hadn't stepped in? Anyway, I gotta go. Homework and stuff." Tokimo amiably waved goodbye to both of them as she walked away, smiling the whole time.

"Are you okay?" Kouken asked.

"Yeah. Great!" Tokimo responded, pretending to be enthusiastic. "This is awesome news!"

* * *

"You. Did. What?!" Yamiko screeched, brandishing a spatula at Sayoko. "I am not going. You'll have to kill me and drag my corpse. I would rather be in hell than at that ball."

"...Free dress?" Sayoko suggested. "Come on, Yamiko. It'll be good for you."

"I hate Kane. Hate. Him. He's obnoxious and nosy and I think he's stalking me, and..."

"And?" Sayoko prompted.

_"Even your reasons for not wanting to get involved--It's not as simple as thinking Han'i is crazy, is it? You believed enough in what they were doing that you were willing to help out. But at the same time, you don't want to get hurt. Maybe it's even more than that--you don't want to see them get hurt, either. I think, truly, you are torn over what to do about this. Torn, and afraid."_

"...and I don't wanna talk about it. He's weird, okay? Creepy."

"Yamiko, I think that he really understands you. You two are pretty similar, you know. Neither of you got along with your parents--"

"Leave mom and dad out of this!"

"--And he really cares about you. I've been through a lot of relationships, and I know when it's the real thing."

"Then why haven't any of your relationships lasted?" Yamiko asked caustically.

"Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to, even when it's real."

"What if I said that's how I thought it was between me and Kane, assuming there really was something between us?"

"Then I wouldn't believe you," Sayoko replied. "Please, Yamiko? It's a bit late to say no now. He's probably gotten the dress already and everything."

"Why should I? You did this completely without consulting me!"

"Because I'm really worried about you, Yamiko," Sayoko replied. "Ever since Junior High, I've never seen a smile on your face. Even with the medication. I think that Kane is giving you your first real chance at happiness--even if you never go beyond friends. Yamiko, I just miss seeing a smile on your face. This means a lot to me. Please?"

Yamiko paused. Sayoko made a stupid puppy face. Typical.

"...I guess so," Yamiko reluctantly agreed. "I don't know how I let you talk me into this. I know I'm going to regret it."

* * *

"Oceanus!" Nemesis called, her cry ringing through empty hallways. "Oceanus!"

He appeared immediately, his eyes respectfully averted toward the ground.

"It turns out I have a use for you in Tokyo after all. You'll be happy to know that I do want you to target Seisui."

"Are there any other instructions, your Magnificence?"

"Do what you do best, Oceanus. You have performed admirably for me."

"Shall I dispose of them as I have the others?"

"Nothing so extreme. I just want you to frighten her a little."

"Yes, your Magnificence."

* * *

TA Girl's School was the most illustrious, prestigious private school in Tokyo; Princess Mars had attended it, and even before then, the school had a history of excellence. All of its students were expected to attain similar heights in education; even Mayumi, who was already busy with a double life of concerts, albums, and plethora of promotional events. "This one included," she mumbled in annoyance, looking down at the invitation. "I wanted to take a nap."

"Mayumi!" A classmate shouted excitedly. "Mayumi, we heard you decided to go to the ball. That's wonderful! Yuki and I are going, too," she said, motioning to her friend. They both wore their hair like proper ladies; long, black, straight, boring.

"It will be a pleasure to see you there," she replied, trying her utmost to sound sincere.

"There will be a lot of important businesses there," Yuki remarked. "Maybe we can find a rich boyfriend!" she said under her breath, glancing around her to be sure that no one heard her un-ladylike comment.

"There might be some cute guys," Mayumi agreed half-heartedly. Usually the guys at parties like that were stuck up jerks, even if they were cute. Mayumi liked the kinda guy who was protective, gentle, kind-hearted...someone dark and tall, yet--

"They say that the owner of Synapse Entertainment has taken an unusual interest helping your manager--"

"--you mean my father," she corrected them politely. She hoped her chauffeur got here soon.

"--Right, father find bookings for you. They say the owner of Synapse is not only rich, but also drop-dead gorgeous."

"Well, they would be right," Mayumi said, a troubled expression crossing her face. "In fact, Synapse wants me to do a tour in the U.S. this summer."

"That sounds exciting!" Yuki said. "But me and Hana will miss you. Promise to write!"

"Well, I--"

"This is your chance, Mayumi," Hana told her. "You should try and get engaged. Think how secure your future would be."

"Mmm," Mayumi grunted meaninglessly. Mayumi didn't want to hook up with someone secure. She wanted someone exciting.

Yuki and Hana looked at Mayumi in stupefied silence, shocked at her rude unresponsiveness.

"I mean, well...we'll have to see," she said suddenly, realizing she hadn't been minding her manners. "But I don't want to rush into anything with the owner of Synapse, since it could effect my ratings with male listeners."

"I guess that's true," Hana replied. "Ah, is that your chauffeur?" She said, motioning toward a black vehicle.

"So it is," Mayumi said, a gracious smile spreading across her face. "I'll see you all later," she added, walking over to her limo with a sigh. She felt her knee quiver as she stepped on a rock; her eyes widened an she narrowly prevented herself from tripping over. Grace, poise, beauty, etiquette--all virtues falsely grown for her dad. Really, she was a bit of a klutz. She stepped inside the limo and shut the door behind her.

"Let's go, Shiro," she said to her chauffeur.

* * *

"Yamiko!" Sayoko shouted. "Yamiko! Some grunt came with your dress. Better start getting ready for the ball!"

"I can't believe I'm getting dragged into this," Yamiko growled. Sayoko handed her a box wrapped in silver, foil-like wrapping paper; she sighed and opened it reluctantly. Whatever it was, it seemed extravagant--the box was quite big. Yamiko pulled the dress out.

She couldn't help raising her eyebrows in admiration. He had certainly nailed her taste. It was a black dress with a full skirt; the neckline was square, the sleeves were long with ruffles, and the effect was impressive. The fabric was ornamented with a profusion of small black beads, giving the dress a look of extravagance. At the bottom of the silver parcel were two other small boxes; upon opening one, Yamiko discovered an ornate, Victorian style onyx necklace, it's myriad black jewels sliding between each other like ants in a waltz. Inside the other box were earrings to match.

Sayoko whistled. "I don't even want to think about how much that dress costs or who made it."

"There's no tag," Yamiko responded. "He may have had it custom-made. He must have had this planned in advance..." she trailed off.

"He's only known you for a week or so, hasn't he? And even then, you've only seen him a few times," Sayoko said. "It wouldn't make sense if he had it made, considering he only found out your measurements yesterday."

"Hmm..." Yamiko murmured, thinking to herself. "I guess you're probably right."

"Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? Just try it on. I know you're impressed by his taste."

Yamiko sighed and pretended not to agree. "It's okay, I suppose," she replied, walking off to get dressed.

When she had finished, Sayoko had to admit that the effect was impressive. Even when Yamiko wasn't dressed up, she had a peculiar beauty all her own--but the dress that Kane had selected highlighted that beauty. Her skin was almost ghostly pale and her hair was raven black, giving Yamiko the eerie appearance of a silently watchful spirit or self-assured Vampyr. With a 'y', no less.

"You're wearing mom's bracelet," Sayoko remarked, noticing the band of silver flowers--camellia, forget-me-not, and gardenia--Yamiko had placed on her wrist.

"Yeah..." Yamiko said absently. "For good luck. I feel uneasy about this. Not just because I don't want to go, I mean," she added quickly. "I just feel...uneasy."

"You'll be fine," Sayoko replied dismissively. "You're just nervous. This is a big deal, you know. A lot of rich snots will be there. But it's nothing you haven't seen before. We went to tons of these swanky balls back in the old days. It'll be a walk in the park."

"I suppose so," Yamiko replied. "Or, at least, I hope so."

"Well, he'll be here any time now. I'm going to make myself comfortable and watch some TV. You can sit there and try not to muss up your make-up."

Yamiko rolled her eyes and sat down near the door. She still thought there was something off about Kane. The more she thought about it, the more it made her uneasy. The way he had just casually walked up to her that day. His boundless egotism. His bizarre interest in her and the Moon Senshi. Yamiko wrung her hands nervously. Did he suspect something? She had stupidly said that she knew Han'i. She had voiced her dissent of the Queen. But no. She went to the same school. Is it so impossible that she could have met Seisui, and that Seisui could have made her come around? But still....

She could barely let out a gasp as the doorbell rang; her heart beat furiously against her chest, trying desperately to shout something over the chattering of her thoughts. Sayoko gave her an odd glance, and Yamiko opened the door uneasily.

"Hello?" she said timidly. A man in a dark suit nodded toward her respectfully. "Mr. Amano waits in the car, ma'am. If you wouldn't mind..." he trailed off, motioning outside toward a shiny black limo.

"Certainly," Yamiko replied, walking toward the car. The chauffeur opened the door for her and motioned inside. After Yamiko gathered together the many ruffles of her skirt and took her place in back, the chauffeur closed the door, took his place in the front seat and started the car. Yamiko looked placidly at the leather upholstered interior, the refrigerator, the TV...anything but Kane.

"Sorry about all this," Kane said apologetically. He was dressed in a tuxedo--it didn't suit him at all. "This is the one part of my life they still interfere in."

"I'm surprised they aren't with you," Yamiko said, acutely aware of the emptiness of the vehicle.

"They try to spend as little time with me as possible, " he explained, looking absentmindedly out the window. "Even at the ball, they'll only talk to me if there are pictures to be taken or reporters interviewing them. Just as well. I'm not interested in spending time with them, either."

Yamiko was silent. Kane turned toward her, and she turned away from him, toward her window. "It's pretty sad," she said quietly. "Their own son. They might regret what they've done someday. Especially now that we live in dangerous times."

"Not as much as you do," he mumbled.

"What?" Yamiko said, turning back toward him.

"Nothing," he replied quickly. "I was just musing to myself. Anyway, don't worry about what happens at the ball. I'll floor everyone with a beautiful girl like you."

"I don't want to be flattered," Yamiko snapped. "Don't flatter me."

"Fine," he sighed. "I can see you won't go along with it, so I'll give up already."

* * *

The ballroom was filled with the apathetic clink of glasses and uninterested din of meaningless talk. Rich people in suits walked around, pretended to care, and maybe danced the waltz a little, just to keep up appearances. Kane frowned disapprovingly on all of them.

"These people need to go to a rave or something," he said with a sigh. Yamiko smiled and nodded a little.

Realizing her mistake, she frowned. She didn't want to give Kane the false impression she was having a good time. "I don't really expect much from people like this," she responded. "It's not like they really have lives. They just sit in their office and work all day. Then they go out to eat or play golf and pretend to have fun."

Yamiko scanned the crowd dully to see if she could remember anyone from when mom and dad were still alive. She did spy one familiar face; there was a girl with brilliant silver hair, pretending to smile at a handsome young gentleman who seemed very absorbed by her presence. Yamiko wracked her brain for the name of the girl, but she couldn't recall ever talking to her or hearing her name; just that she was familiar. "Who's that?" she finally asked Kane, motioning toward her.

He looked over toward the girl, raised an eyebrow and turned back toward Yamiko. "I'm surprised you don't know," he responded. "That's Mayumi Hatsuhara. She's the number one selling artist in Japan right now--she's expected to tour in America this summer. In fact, the guy she's talking to is Seki Shin'ichiro; he owns Synapse Entertainment, one of the top musical producers in Japan, and he's the one that's funding the tour. He's also gotten some attention recently for taking an unusual..."interest" in Mayumi. It's a good thing he's young and attractive, or Synapse would be dead because of the scandal that could cause. As it is, it could be bad for Mayumi's ratings, especially with men."

"I think I remember hearing about her," Yamiko replied. "Isn't her music kinda--"

"Disgustingly cheerful? Putridly cute? Surpassingly sappy? Yeah, pretty much. Honestly, her music makes me a little sick. She's supposed to be a nice person, though. Whatever."

Yamiko nodded. "Well, that explains why she looks familiar to me," she mused. "Though for some reason I feel like I remember meeting her somewhere. Maybe she was hanging around when I used to go to my parents balls. They introduced me to so many people back then that I couldn't keep them straight." She sighed. "Funny how I met so many people but didn't make friends with any of them."

Kane smiled. "Well, you have a friend now, right?"

Yamiko looked at Kane. His smile was warm, but its mere existence was suspicious. He had come up to her one day seemingly at random--just to compliment her. He was always showing up around her and her sister, and he went out of his way to be nice to her when he hardly knew her at all. Sayoko seemed to put some implicit trust in him, but the whole situation was shady. It must be true that he was rich, or else he wouldn't be here...right? When they came in, he gave no more affection to his parents than a nod of his head, and they responded in kind. But even that was not so unusual. After all, she had only given her parents marginally more affection than he did, even though she had lived in the same house. Yamiko frowned. By the time she realized her mistake, it was too late...

"Do you mind coming with me, Yamiko? There's a reporter that wants to ask some questions," Kane said. He looked at his parents, who were motioning toward him; they stood beside a man with a camera. Yamiko nodded, and he took her gently by the hand and lead her toward them.

"So, we've heard mixed reports on what you plan on doing with the business once your son has graduated college. Do you plan to hire on Kane?" the reporter asked the morosely frowning woman, whose arms were crossed disapprovingly toward the world. Yamiko cared little what the woman answered and promptly zoned off; but she did notice Kane staring upwards, toward the tops of the elaborate, Corinthian pillars that adorned the ballroom. There was a sort of archway on top of a horizontal support between each of the pillars, and on one of these horizontal supports sat--much to Yamiko's surprise--a man. He had long, blonde hair--Yamiko could see that much, even from far away--and he wore some sort of light, creamy orange garment. Some golden object--an instrument, maybe?--sparkled in his hands.

Without warning, Kane gasped. He turned around, grabbed onto Yamiko's shoulders, and sent both of them barreling onto the ground. Kane was lying on top of her, and even from under him Yamiko could hear the bystanders scream and run in panic, darting around like fish disturbed in a pond.

"Kane!" Yamiko shouted. "Are you okay? What just happened?" His face was squarely in front of hers; she couldn't see anything. She craned her neck to the side, and Kane's head fell limply down onto her shoulder.

Yamiko could feel the color leaving her cheeks. Kane's tuxedo jacket was rapidly saturating with blood--there was a golden arrow lodged in his back, shining proudly against the murky darkness of the fabric around it. "Run, Yamiko," he murmured vaguely, his voice little more than a whisper. Yamiko could feel tears in her eyes; he grunted in pain as she cautiously pulled herself away from under his body.

The man was now on the ballroom floor; he spread his arms out as though in supplication. "Come forth, mine own Shine," he said aloud. "Bask in the knowledge that thou art mine, and mine to command until thine ashes lie before me."

A small, glimmering square appeared before his outstretched arms; Yamiko could vaguely make out the form of a woman painted on it. An arm reached out grotesquely from within; then another, and the two disembodied hands latched around the edges of the small painting and pushed it behind them. A face emerged; then shoulders, torso; finally, a flowing, fluttering skirt. The entire form flashed in brilliant light; Yamiko had to cover her eyes until the light subsided, revealing a woman in a long, flowing black gown.

The man stood there and looked Yamiko over, unimpressed. He held a golden bow in one hand and a loose arrow in the other; the woman stood in front of him, silent, her face covered with a veil.

"Who are you?" Yamiko shouted, standing protectively in front of Kane. "Why did you do this to him? He's just an bystander!"

He smiled; it was a casual smile. "To answer your first--disappointingly cliché, I might add--question, my name is Eros of Aphrodite, Priest of Venus. Or at least I was the Priest of Venus, until I left for...greener pastures."

"A priest? Like Helios?" she responded, dumbstruck.

"As a Moon Senshi, I would think you would know what a priest is. I'm rather disappointed, I must confess. But yes. Like Helios. Only better, of course--better looking, more charming, much smarter." He smiled knowingly. "You seem a bit slow, but you do understand, don't you?"

"Of course I understand! It's--" Yamiko paused as she looked downwards; she saw her expansive black skirt, strewn with elaborately sewn beads.

It wasn't a Senshi uniform. Yamiko bit her lips.

"Ah," he said, his smile broadening. "Now you see."

Yamiko backed away a couple of steps. No; there was no time to think about this now, when Kane was in danger. She would think about the implications later. "Phoebe prism power, make up!" she cried; she was momentarily enveloped in the embrace of shadows before transforming into Sailor Phoebe. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she shouted, simply angry now that she was no longer defenseless. "Why have you done this to him?"

"Who, why, what....it is simply this: I aimed the arrow; he, unfortunately, saved you; my arrow stayed true, and he was shot in your stead. Quite sweet of him, was it not? I knew something of such things, long ago. We will do anything in our fits of passion."

"You're the one who sent the youma, aren't you? Why are you doing this?"

"My motives are my own, girl, and no concern of yours. If you're so interested, yes, the Shine are mine. They have always been mine, now, and once long ago--though they tried to escape me." His eyes twinkled madly. "No matter. They now know their place. Skoteine! Take what we need and leave. My work here is done. I must say I'm disappointed...I had thought to get farther." He turned as if to go, and then stopped; "No; I think I shall stay and watch until the deed is done." Then he turned around and looked at her.

"First," the youma said monotonously, "to get rid of him." She drew her hand backward, one finger pointed up; she brought it forward, pointing toward Kane's now inert figure.

Without thinking, Phoebe ran in front of Kane. The blast of dark wind flew at her; she fell over, and the force of the gust sent her sliding backwards into him. Even though Kane's body slowed her backwards motion, they still slid across the polished marble floor. Kane left a trail of oozing blood behind him as he slid; Phoebe could hear him moan faintly.

"Kane!" she cried, looking down at him. Why did he have to get pulled into this? He was just a bystander...

_I just want to get to know you. I think you're an interesting person...._

"I'll never forgive you for this!" she cried, pointing a finger toward Eros. "You understand! I'll never forgive you!"

Eros laughed. A deeply mocking laugh, a horrible, scathing laugh that scraped against Phoebe's spine. Sailor Phoebe cringed. "What's so funny?" she asked, glaring toward him.

"Nothing," he replied. "Quite the opposite. It's just all so horrible, isn't it? It's just pathetic."

"I don't have time for your ambiguity," Phoebe hissed, her anger rising within her. Kane was barely holding on for life, but this fop was laughing at his suffering. "Shadow Dragon!" she screamed as a dark, spiraling dragon flew toward Eros and his companion. Eros effortlessly teleported to one of the archways, but Skoteine shrieked in inhuman terror as the dragon bit straight at her torso, leaving a gaping and bloody wound.

"Pathetic, Skoteine," he shouted from the archway, leaning nonchalantly on a pillar. "This is a battle of eros, and you have disgraced it! I expect to see greater passion from my Shine." With this, he snapped his fingers and the wound--and her dress--healed.

Phoebe could feel herself shaking as Eros grinned at her wickedly. He turned toward Skoteine. "Now, Skoteine--"

"Double drill!" a shrill voice screamed. Eros eyes' widened as a volley of fire and ice, spiraling around each other, came hurtling towards him. He teleported away not a moment too soon; the archway where he had been sitting was hit head-on and fell to the ground, a surreal combination of scorch-marks and frost covering its surface.

"The moon of fire and ice, I know the path of dual nature. The soldier of change, Sailor Io!" Sailor Io pointed toward him; she stood angrily behind the rubble of the arch Eros had perched on only moments ago. Her hair was a brilliant silver; her sailor collar and skirt were silver to match, and her bow and shoes were a eye-catching shade of reddish orange. She seemed a blaze of light, her outfit reflecting the glow of the ballroom chandeliers.

"I thought I felt something foul about you," he said with a sneer. "It figures as much. You aren't with the others. Where did you come from, anyway?" he said, casually pulling an arrow out of nowhere and fitting it to his bow.

"I came from Japan," she said matter-of-factly.

Eros rolled his eyes. "A little slow on the uptake," he remarked. "But no matter. Skoteine, I grow weary of this. Kill the boy."

"No you don't!" Phoebe screamed. She leaned forward; she was moving down to protect him, to cover him, if possible, by shielding him with her back. But before her palms reached the cold marble floor--before she could see the golden arrow sticking obscenely out of his back--she was lifted up again and flying backward.

She could vaguely hear a dull "thunk" as she flew into a pillar. She could feel herself sliding to the ground, unsure if she had broken any bones, and if so, how many. She couldn't move without pain. With difficulty, she forced her eyes open.

"Double drill!" Io cried once again, the fire and ice spiraling toward Skoteine, who hovered over Kane, a black knife in her hand. Skoteine teleported, avoiding the attack and landing a few feet away from Kane; the charybdis of fire and ice shot above him, narrowly missing his back.

"No," Phoebe murmured hoarsely. Her breath was short; her ribs were wracked with pain. "No!" she managed to shout, her face contorting with the effort. Skoteine moved back toward Kane, the dagger re-materializing in her hands. "If you keep attacking the youma like that," she continued to shout, turning toward a bewildered Io, "you could kill him, too!"

"I know," Io shouted in response. She turned toward Eros. "This is sick! You're going to kill a defenseless boy! What did he ever do to you?"

Eros paused at this, his face suddenly thoughtful. "He's done a lot of horrible things," he replied. "But mostly, he's just been insufferably stupid."

Phoebe could vaguely see Io turn back toward Kane. Skoteine paused for a moment, almost as though she was expecting something.

_"I'm not interested in you. So just give up."_

_"I don't expect you to be interested in me. What kind of an asshole do you think I am? I just want to get to know you. I think you're an interesting person. That doesn't mean I'm interested in you, per se, but I find you interesting."_

_"What's so interesting about me, anyway? The way I treat you badly, or my attempts to push you away at every turn?"_

He had chuckled. _"Everyone has a secret. The more interesting the person and the more interesting the secret, the more they try to hide it."_

What is it? Phoebe thought to herself, watching Kane's inert form and the youma hesitating above it. What does he find so interesting? "Always," she murmured to herself, "Always he is trying to find me. Its like there's something in me that he's looking for. I want to know what it is."

"What is it, Yamiko?" Eros said mockingly, with a smile. "Why don't you speak up?"

"No one's ever wanted to know me," she said, louder, despite the pain. "And I didn't want to know what was inside of myself because I thought, whatever it was, it was ugly. But I want to know!" she could feel her lungs splitting apart in pain. "I want to know--even if it hurts--what it is about myself..." she gasped, trying to find the breath. "That he finds worth knowing!"

"Too late for that," Skoteine said, her hand moving downward.

"No it isn't," she replied. "Dark...garrote!" she cried, pushing herself upwards, one hand clenching the air as if to seize it for a handhold.

Phoebe's clenching hand was, in truth, a pathetic parody; a real hand, black and turbid, seized the youma. Its smoky, oily hands covered her body and wrapped around her diaphragm, squeezed together her lungs, pinched her neck. Skoteine's bones crunched under the deadly hand's grasp as if she was no more than a garden beetle. Phoebe's eyes became dark and desperate as her hand gripped the air. Then, no longer able to sit up, her head and torso fell to the ground. She could vaguely see Skoteine disappear, evaporating into a red mist and leaving only a small, minature portrait behind her. Darkness soon followed.

* * *

A dull, clunking thud resounded throughout the room as The Crimson Eagle landed on the ballroom floor. Ikkoku fluttered down to alight upon him, landing her claws on the cape-covered shoulder pad she had claimed for her own--a decision that The Crimson Eagle was beginning to lament, given that it left eight little claw holes in the canvas.

Taking stock of his surroundings, he noticed a strange Moon Senshi he had yet to meet, and more importantly, the unconscious form of Yamiko. One of her hands was outstretched toward a young man, an golden arrow lodged in his back.

"Looks like you're a bit late," Ikkoku remarked dryly.

"By the time she was really in danger, it was too late," he replied. "I don't think anyone was expecting this to happen. Regardless, we need to get help." He turned to Yamiko, then back to the boy. "What we need here is Sailor Pinkmoon," he said conclusively.

"I..." The unfamilar Senshi interjected uncertainly, "I was going to call the ambulance. The villains just left, moments ago."

"Who were they?" he asked, turning his face toward her. She stepped back a little, in awe of the mysterious man and the imposing mask he wore. "Never mind," he said, cutting her off as she began to open her mouth. "You can explain it to us later. Do you have a communicator?"

"Uhh..." she began, pausing for a moment. "You mean this?" she answered, holding up a reddish orange and silver watch.

"That's right," Ikkoku responded. "If you open up the top, there's a keypad in it. Type 'Luna'."

"R-right!" she responded. Looking at the top of the watch, she pulled at the red and silver face. The lid flew open suddenly, revealing a small screen and a set of English buttons. "Umm...Luna..." she paused; 'Luna' was pronouced with a heavy Japanese accent. "So, in English, that's R, right?"

"It's 'L'," The Crimson Eagle corrected her. "In English, L and R are two different characters. So it's spelled L-U-N-A."

"R-right!" she responded. "Of course." She typed it in; several seconds passed without answer.

"Hmmm...maybe Diana tampered around with the transformation equipment too much," The Crimson Eagle said pensively. "I was hoping creating the channel might summon it up on the other side, even if she didn't have it, but--"

"Hello?" a voice called out from the silver-uniformed Senshi's watch.

"You're Princess Lady Serenity!" she said in surprise. "I've always wondered what kind of person you were, since we were about the same age."

"No time for that," The Crimson Eagle admonished her, walking toward the Senshi and craning his neck down toward the watch. "Sailor Pinkmoon. Phoebe has badly injured herself, and a bystander has been injured as well. We need you, or Helios. This may be a lot to ask, given Phoebe's relationship with you in the past, but--"

"Think nothing of it," Usako interjected. "We'll be there as soon as we can. Where are you?"

"The Golden Angel," The Crimson Eagle responded. "You know, the huge hotel they hold so many parties at." Usako nodded and the image on the watch vanished.

"My name is The Crimson Eagle," he said, turning toward her. "It is my duty to protect Sailor Senshi from harm."

"Why don't you tell her who else you are?" Ikkoku suggested, flapping a wing against his head in irritation. "You don't need that mask. Take it off! Take it off!" she began chanting.

"I refuse to consent to an order so obviously phrased to sound lewd," The Crimson Eagle replied in annoyance. "But I will say that my name is Erik vonDarkmoor, and that I work as a teacher at Goban High School, where most of the other Moon Senshi can be found. I'm not sure of your motives, but I hope that won't be taken as an invitation to go there and start a fight with any of them, because I will defend any or all of them to my last breath."

The girl clapped as her sailor uniform dissolved, revealing an pretty girl of around 15, clothed in a pink and white evening dress that looked, perhaps, a little too cutesy for her age. "I'm Sailor Io," she replied. "You don't have to talk so formally, I hear enough formality at school. I'm not usually a Sailor Senshi," she added. "I'm too busy, so I don't have time to start any fights, even if I wanted to. Usually I'm singing, you see. My fans would be disappointed and I'd get in a lot of trouble with my dad," she explained. "Oh! My name is Mayumi Hatsuhara. 15 years old, my sign is Saggittarius. My favorite food is skittles, my strength is singing and making friends and my weakness is...um, well, just about everything else," she admitted sheepishly.

"Why are you listing off all those personal statistics?" Ikkoku asked. "Are you trying to set up a formal date of some kind with Erik? I must warn you, he has both lost his family fortune and become exceedingly irate in his old age."

The Crimson Eagle unhooked his cape, causing it fall from his shoulders and reveal his armor. More importantly, however, it brought Ikkoku--who had been unwisely perched on his shoulder at the time--tumbling to the floor with it, leaving her buried in a mass of canvas cloak.

"Ow," she whimpered as The Crimson Eagle walked toward Yamiko, kneeling down and looking with concern at her injuries.

"It looks like she's broken some of her ribs," he said with concern. "Thankfully, nothing fatal." He got up and moved toward the boy, looking down at him with concern.

"Will he be okay?" Mayumi asked.

He knelt down and removed a glove, putting a well-calloused hand on the boy's neck. "He's still with us, thank god, but it's weak," he told her. "I'm surprised he lost as little blood as he did. Of course, the arrow went through very cleanly, and it probably helped stop some of the blood loss. Still, it's no good where it is."

Mayumi turned away, her face pale, as The Crimson Eagle gingerly turned the boy over on his side. She could hear a distinct snapping noise.

"I've taken off the head," he said. "That will make it easier to pull out, but I'll wait until Pinkmoon gets here to remove the arrow. No use in making him lose more blood. How did all of this happen, anyway?" he asked, turning toward Mayumi.

Mayumi paused, her pale face beginning to flush. "A strange man appeared, with blonde hair and blue eyes--he looked American, or English--he called himself Eros. He attacked the ball, and shot that boy there. I think Eros was trying to shoot that Sailor Senshi...um...Phoebe? But the boy protected her. I missed a lot of it, because I had to get away from the crowd and transform, but...when I got back, they were trying to finish off the boy. Phoebe seemed to know him really well. I think they're boyfriend and girlfriend or something, or maybe they will be." Mayumi grinned enthusiastically. "It was kind of romantic, you know?"

"Mayumi, dear," Ikkoku piped in, having finally extricated herself from The Crimson Eagle's cloak, "continue, if you please."

"Oh! Right!" she said sheepishly. "At that point, the youma was about to kill the kid. But at the last minute, Phoebe summoned a powerful attack! It was very dramatic, like a movie or something. You could tell she was totally digging on that boy. Anyway, She shouted something...um, dark...something with a "ga"...anyway, it killed the youma." Mayumi grimaced. "She crushed it. It was really gross. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it...anyway, the youma disappeared after that, thankfully."

"He said his name was Eros?" Ikkoku asked.

"I think so," Mayumi replied, sounding unsure. "I left as he was introducing himself. Something about Venus, I think. I didn't hear that well. He was wearing this weird outfit. It was creamsicle colored, with blue. It looked a teeny bit like Helios' outfit, I think."

"Did you hear that, Erik?" Ikkoku said, jumping up from the floor and alighting on The Crimson Eagle's shoulder. She seemed, much to her chagrin, to be having difficulty keeping a grip on his metal shoulder pad. "This...would explain..." she grunted, her claws sliding awkwardly on the metal. "Why you were having so much trouble finding them on your first go."

The Crimson Eagle paused. "You mean my past life, right?"

"Of course," Ikkoku responded, eventually giving up and landing on his head. The Crimson Eagle walked back toward his cape and replaced the clasp on his cape--allowing, much to both Ikkoku and The Crimson Eagle's relief, the falcon to resume her place on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" The Crimson Eagle asked, looking at her. First she knew about his fortune, and now this..."Within the course of the past hour's events, you've shown that you know both my previous life's history and my current one. How did you come by such knowledge, in such a conspicuous form, unobserved?"

"I am a falcon," Ikkoku replied. "I pursue that which I desire, and none can stop me. Knowledge is not such an elusive a thing to those who zealously desire to have it."

"Whoa," Mayumi responded, impressed, "That was foreboding. you sound kinda like you come from a movie or something, too. Can you see the future or something?"

"She's just avoiding the question," The Crimson Eagle said, turning toward Mayumi. "And trying to look cool." he sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't have bothered asking; she wasn't going to give me an answer."

Ikkoku fluffed her feathers proudly. "Anyway," she continued, "now that we've established that I'm cool, I'd like to know what happened to Eros after his youma disappeared. Did he disappear along with it?"

"Sort of," Mayumi said. "It wasn't the same, though. When the Youma disappeared, it was like--you know...'Lovely!' or 'Cleansing!', or 'Moon Dusted!', kinda. But when Eros disappeared, I think he just teleported away. He said something about things coming along nicely, or something like that."

"Youma don't really say lovely or cleansing when they've been defeated," Erik told her, "nor does Sailor Moon say moon dusted. They just put those in the movies."

"Really?" Mayumi said, surprised. "Huh. I did always think that was kinda weird."

"Something's amiss," Erik said, grasping the pommel of his sword as he thought. "The boy, receiving such a wound, would already be close to death. And according to you, Eros seemed to be out to kill him. I can see him mistaking the boy as already dead, and leaving him because of that, but he knew that he had to finish him off because he evidently instructed the youma to do so. And although I can see him wanting the youma to do his work for him, wouldn't it be just as easy to kill the boy himself, since he was already there? Maybe he didn't want to expose himself to the danger of getting attacked by you...Plus, why would he say things were coming along well? Even though Sailor Phoebe was hurt badly, she wasn't killed, nor was the bystander...and his youma was destroyed! It just doesn't fit together...the whole thing seems totally haphazard, like Eros wasn't thinking this through at all!"

"Maybe we're missing something," Ikkoku said. "Mayumi, are you sure that Eros said his mission was successful?"

Mayumi nodded with certainty. "As sure as I can ever be about anything."

"I definitely think we're missing something," Ikkoku reaffirmed. "I'm not as familiar with the inner circle of Sol, but even for a priest of Venus, that's pretty dull. And from what little I have heard of Eros, he was known to be quite perceptive. Maybe not as smart as Ouranos or Morpheus, but certainly not dull."

"Who are they?" Mayumi asked.

"The priests of other holy lands," Ikkoku told her. "They're--"

"I'm here!" Sailor Pinkmoon cried, pushing her way through the door, breathless. She ran toward The Crimson Eagle. "Where are they?"

He motioned toward Yamiko and the blonde haired boy. "You'd better heal the bystander first," The Crimson Eagle told her. "He's almost dead."

"I'll heal the boy," Helios said, pushing past Sailor Pinkmoon and running toward Kane.

"Wait," The Crimson Eagle said, kneeling downward and removing the arrow from the boy's back. Dark red blood gushed as though it had been waiting long for the opportunity to escape. The Crimson Eagle put his ungloved hand over the boy's wound, hoping to prevent the flow of blood. "You should heal him quickly, now that I've taken out the arrow."

He knelt downward and began to pray in what The Crimson Eagle was pretty certain was Latin. As he began, Sailor Pinkmoon turned toward Yamiko.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" Sailor Pinkmoon cried, holding her crystal aloft as a soft light flowed around Yamiko. Yamiko groaned and sat up; she could see the soft light of Helios' spell glowing around Kane, whose wounds were rapidly disappearing. A look of infinite relief spread across Yamiko's face as she ran toward him, taking his hands in hers as Helios finished his strange incantation.

"Kane!" she cried happily, tears beginning to flow into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"You almost sound worried about me," he replied, grinning. "More importantly, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

Kane smiled. "I'm sorry that the ball was ruined for you."

"I wasn't that enthusiastic about it anyway," she said. "Can you walk okay?"

Kane stood up, putting an arm around Yamiko and using it as leverage. Yamiko's hands continued to clasp around his, as though she were afraid he would disappear. Erik turned his back to them.

"Well, Ikkoku," he said, "it seems our work is done." He walked toward the exit, his inky black cape flowing behind him.

"W-wait! Um, come to my next concert!" Mayumi shouted, blushing.

* * *

"You're okay," Kane said happily, unclasping his hand and putting it on Yamiko's cheek. Yamiko took his cupped hand and gently lowered it to his side. Part of her was still unwilling to trust this mysterious stranger. Despite that, she smiled vaguely. She couldn't banish his stupid act of heroism from her mind.

"We should probably leave them," Helios said knowingly, turning toward Mayumi and Sailor Pinkmoon. "I told Queen Serenity to tell the police they didn't have to get involved, so there shouldn't be any interruptions," he continued with a wink. Mayumi nodded vaguely as the three headed out the huge double doors of the Golden Angel.

Yamiko and Kane were left alone. "Thanks for saving me," Yamiko said quietly.

"I wasn't really thinking about it at the time," he said sheepishly. "It just sort of happened. As long as you're okay."

Yamiko paused.

_"I feel sorry for Seisui," she had said with a sigh, "but at the same time, she brought it on herself."_

_"Do you know her?" he asked, a little surprised._

_"Why do you ask?"_

_"Because you called her 'Seisui.' Not Han'i, or even Seisui Han'i..."_

_"Errr..well, you know, she's such a criminal and all, she doesn't really deserve to be treated with respect."_

_"You don't call your enemies by their first names," he persisted. "What are you hiding, Yamiko?"_

_"I just want to help you out, okay? I promise._

_"I promise."_

"Yamiko, I--" he began.

"The truth, is, Kane..." she interrupted him quietly, taking a deep breath, "I'm a Moon Senshi. Sailor Phoebe, to be exact..."

"Yeah," he replied in the same subdued voice. "I thought you might be. After I found you knew Seisui, and that she even asked you to help her to depose the Queen, I figured you weren't just your ordinary high school student. What would a normal high school student be doing mixed up in stuff like that? But I wasn't sure. I mean, being a Moon Senshi...that's pretty far out for someone you meet shopping in Harajuku. But when I saw that weird guy looking down at you, it just hit me. I knew..." He paused, looking down toward the blood-stained marble floor; it looked like the site of some ancient Greek sacrifice. "And I knew what he planned. That sickening, antagonistic glare...he may have been almost angelic in appearance, but his eyes..." he trailed off.

"Because of you, I was able to defeat that monster..." she mumbled. "And you almost lost your life for my sake. I suppose..." she stopped, swallowing her words.

"This place looks like a dump," he said, grinning. Yamiko supposed he was trying to distract her. "It's a shame things turned out this way. But at least you get to keep your dress. Why don't I drop you off at your place? I'm sure that after all we've been through tonight, you aren't all that interested in a well-dressed night on the town."

"No," she said. "The dress is nice, but it isn't that comfortable." She paused.

"Well, shall we go then?" Kane said, motioning toward the door. "I'll call the car." He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, and announcing the name "Kuro" into the phone, instructed his chauffeur to pick him up at the front of the building.

"You know..." Yamiko began awkwardly, looking away from him. "If you want to hang out with me and Sayoko, we could watch some movies or something...since I didn't really get anything to eat, I'll probably make dinner, too."

"Sure," he said with a smile. "That would be cool. Maybe I should invite a friend, for Sayoko's sake?" he said with a grin.

"For Serenity's sake, no."

* * *

Kazeko looked down at Seisui; the slinking darkness of Black Water had all but vanished, and she sat alone, resigned and tired. Kazeko clenched an oak branch thoughtfully.

She closed her eyes. Old sap, spring growth...her grip relaxed, and she could feel the knotty bark of the oak beneath her hands. Her body may have been relaxed, but her soul still trembled in fear and anguish, unwilling to accept her destiny.

"There is still the earth," she tried, half-heartedly, to reassure herself with. "And I am not the only one who needs guidance."

She climbed down from the tree and came up to Seisui, watching her as she sat in the midst of a confused cloud, her bench the only island in her mind's troubled sea. She approached her from behind and held a hand out, coaxingly, as though Seisui were a bird she could encourage to approach her. She dropped her hand, realizing the ridiculousness of the venture. Seisui couldn't even see her, of course; from where she sat, she was facing the other direction.

"Um," she finally said, her voice trembling.

Seisui turned around, her glassy eyes vaguely recognizing Kazeko. "Oh," she said apathetically. "It's you."

"What happened to your spirit?" Kazeko asked, sitting at the other end of the bench. "He disappeared."

Seisui shook her head, and she looked uneasy. The same, slinking darkness passed over her; but this time, It felt weak and uneven. "Nothing," she said. "There's really nothing to say. I've just begun to realize how pointless everything has been so far."

Kazeko paused, unsure of what to say.

_She couldn't save them. The wind whistled through these strange trees, these foreign streets. She could see the airport behind her and the crowded streets ahead of her, and she cried for fear..._

_"Iain...where are you now?"_

"I found out you were right," Kazeko finally managed to mumble. "I am a Moon Senshi."

"Really?" Seisui said weakly. "Which one?"

Kazeko pulled out her locket, looking at its lavender and blue-purple face.

_The moon of prophecy, each generation home to a prophecy-maddened Queen..._

"Ariel," she replied. "If you want...." Kazeko began tentatively, "I could read your fortune. Maybe it would help you see where you should go."

Seisui shrugged; Kazeko pulled out her bag of runes, and, drawing some of them from the bag, looked down at them pensively.

"Thurisaz," she mumbled, her voice troubled.

"What does that mean?" Seisui asked. She seemed only half interested in Kazeko's runes; her eyes showed that her thoughts were elsewhere.

"The rune of Thor," she repeated, this time in Japanese. "Destruction and change...basically, something big is going to happen. It's going to happen to you."

Seisui looked down at the stone. Emblazoned on it, there was a vertical line; against that vertical line sat a triangle. It looked a little like the english letter 'P.' She seemed skeptical. Kazeko, however, knew better. It seemed ironic that as Black Water retreated within her, ominous things would come even closer on the horizon. But Seisui, Kazeko saw, was holding him within her--binding him purely with the force of her own will--and that struggle to hold her power back could manifest in any number of inevitably bad ways.

"Going to happen?" Seisui said blandly. "Haven't enough things happened already?"

"Well..." Kazeko trailed off pensively. "Just because a lot of things have already happened doesn't mean that more aren't on the horizon." She paused. There were a lot of things eating up Seisui right now, and for her to find any measure of peace, Kazeko knew, she would have to fight them back. "Maybe whatever is coming isn't necessarily bad, at least not in the long run. Maybe it will be the solution to all of the problems you've been having."

"I don't want to talk about it," Seisui responded with a sigh. "As far as I'm concerned, it's all in the past. I have to move on..." She sounded half-hearted. Kazeko looked up at the oak tree. Maybe she shouldn't have left it after all...she was no good at this...she wasn't even sure what she was trying to accomplish. "Now that you know you're a Moon Senshi," Seisui asked apathetically, "what will you do? Do you still see the Sailor Moon as a god?"

"I don't know," Kazeko said weakly. "I-I-I..." she could feel herself beginning to show signs of breaking down again; her speech was broken, she could feel her nose becoming runny.

Seisui looked at her. "Regardless, it seems all of us are being pulled into this conflict. And it attacks wherever we're likely to be nearby, almost as if--" Seisui stopped abruptly.

Kazeko looked at Seisui questioningly. "A-a-almost as if what?" she asked. "I thought even the fomorii couldn't see through your--er, our--mortal guise into, um, our Fenian--er--Senshi form."

"There's certainly no record of it," Seisui said with concern. "Nothing I learned in school about the Sailor Senshi likens it--though naturally, that information could be biased. Still, I heard nothing of it from my mother as well, and though she tried to discourage us from openly attacking the queen, I still learned many things only councilors such as my father knew from her."

Kazeko looked concerned. "Do you think the enemy knows who among the people are Tuatha de Dannann--er, Sailor Senshi?"

"I'm not sure," Seisui said. She seemed to be regaining her vigor; for the time, at least, the present conversation had distracted her from her troubles. "There have only been two attacks; the one we were involved in, and, apparently, the one at the Church shortly after we left."

Kazeko looked toward Seisui with surprise. "There was an attack at the temple?"

"Not too long after we left. I read it in the newspaper--Sailor Miranda killed a youma that attacked a bunch of churchgoers. But even as disturbing as that is, they're still only two attacks. We'd have to wait and see if there was a definite pattern as to whether they always occur nearby us."

Kazeko clutched her trinity knot, it's points digging painfully into her hand.

_"But how do they know?"_

_"They say that they take stock of everyone baptized at the kirk, and if they don't match up with the registered citizens..."_

_"Where do they get the registries?"_

_"There's worms in every government. Most people don't even know what some of these bishops are about, and who they hold sway with..."_

_"Mummy? What are you talking about?" She tugged on her mother's dress, looking confused._

"I-I-I hope that it's j-just a coincidence," she said fearfully.

"Is something wrong?" Seisui asked. She sounded confused.

"No," Kazeko replied, looking downward. She knew she wasn't convincing. Hopefully, hopefully, she would leave it at that. Kazeko tried to calm herself down; she glanced furtively at Seisui, who, she surmised, knew she was lying. Seisui frowned and shook her head.

"I suppose it's none of my business," Seisui said at last. "I, too, have plenty of things to hide...." A chill passed through Kazeko. She could feel Seisui fighting something back inside of herself. Seisui cringed and clutched at something inside of her pocket. "I better go," she said after a moment's pause.

"Are you going to be okay?" Kazeko asked, watching as Seisui stood up. She could feel, even through the pavement, the undulating waves of darkness that were pulsing through Seisui.

"I don't think I'll ever be okay," Seisui replied. "But I've been forced to try, perhaps by my own volition."

Kazeko paused. "I don't think I understood you correctly," she responded, annoyed at her limited abilities to speak.

"I think you understood," Seisui said, walking away. "I just don't think there was anything to understand."

* * *

"You're home, Fubuki," Michito said, wiping her hands on her apron.

At least her nana didn't boss her around, Fubuki mused. "I am," she said coldly. She threw her bag on a nearby couch and haphazardly took off her leather boots. Usually she kept them on in order to further dirty the white carpet her mother so prized--and because it was so unspeakably rude. She hadn't talked to Jirou yet today. She'd have to call him. A day of silence between them was too much.

"Won't you talk to your mother?" Michito asked, turning toward her. "She's been in her room all day. I haven't heard a sound from her."

"Good," Fubuki snapped. "Then I won't hear her voice."

"Fubuki, I know things have been hard between you and your mother, but--"

"Don't lecture me!" she shouted, turning toward Michito with a look of death. "Hard is no word for it! The sight of her makes me sick!"

"Both of us know that isn't true," Michito responded. "I'm the one that has to deal with it when you get in fights at school. And most of them are when some poor sod makes the mistake of getting to you by mentioning your mother. Fubuki, we both know that you still--"

"I haven't cared about my mother for years!" Fubuki retorted. She walked up to Michito and glared defiance. Michito looked calmly back, long since used to Fubuki's outbreaks. If Michito wasn't responsible for the household's food, Fubuki would have given her a piece of her fist instead of a piece of her mind. "Not since--"

_"Dad, on Saturday, can we go the park--_

_"--his daughter, his life--"_

_"I'm heading out, honey--"_

_"We gather to mourn the loss of one of Queen Serenity's bravest--"_

"Not since dad died," she finished. She cringed as she held something back inside of her, something cold and hot and painful all at once, which crawled into her throat and suffocated her. She loathed her own feelings of vulnerability. She bit her lip in disgusted anger.

"Fubuki, I know you miss your father, but he's been dead ten years. You need to try and pull together the family you have instead of glorifying someone who's gone. You may admire your father, but even he was hardly--"

"Goddammit, what do you know about my father?" Fubuki hissed, jabbing her face up next to Michito's. "You never met him. You weren't even here until after the feds came and brought you to look after me. You want to know about my father, ask someone who knows. Me! Whatever faults he had, he was a fucking miracle next to that ratty ass whore." She paused, glared down at the floor. "I can't pull together my family, Michito. I don't have one! Sometimes I still remember my mother before the accident--the only good memories of her that I have. But I can't enjoy them. It's like snorting flour and hoping that since it looks like fuzz it'll make you high. It just ends up hurting and making your nose feel like shit. When I think of being with my father and mother, Michito, I feel like shit, because I immediately remember that my mother will never, ever be that way again. For the rest of her life until the day she dies, she'll just be a stupid bitch, a stupid bitch who treats me like shit. I can't stand it! I hate her!"

"Fubuki..."

"So I'm not going to go in there. I'm not going up to that door again, in the hope that she 'snaps out of it' or whatever. She won't snap out of it, she never did! I hope she stays in there for all of eternity, until this planet collides with the sun or whatever the hell is gonna happen. Maybe then I can have freedom at last! Maybe then I can finally forget about the bitch she's become, and remember how we all used to be something that at least resembled a family."

Michito watched as Fubuki flashed one final glare at her and walked upstairs--without another word to anyone.

* * *

"Bad news for the love god," Coeus grinned, walking into Eros' room. He seemed to have made "progress" in redecorating it over the past week or so; several gold ornaments filled his room--probably foraged from Aphrodite--reflecting his chronically foppish taste. He had begun hanging the tiny portraits of his former girlfriends, the paint of their perfect porcelain faces cracking like the clay-like makeup they wore so long ago. Eros was currently engaged in this very task; he selected a vibrant blonde-- her perfect, ringlet-like curls framing an ivory face--and placed it on the black, glistening wall of his room on Nemesis. He did not turn around at Coeus' remark.

"Or should I say, more bad news? Given the success of your mission today," Coeus continued, seating himself in a mahogany chair, padded in velvet and in disgustingly decadent taste.

"If my mission today is bad news," Eros replied nonchalantly, "I should hate far more to hear good news. The mission was a complete success."

Coeus frowned, watching Eros' meticulous work. "In what way is getting your youma destroyed, setting a new Sailor Senshi against yourself and encouraging an existing one to harness a much greater power a success?"

"The higher they climb, the harder they fall," Eros replied.

"Are you referring to yourself?" Coeus asked, raising an eyebrow. "If so, you're only reaffirming my point. Of course, if we're speaking of me getting to work in Tokyo sooner as the point of success, then yes, your mission was a complete and utter success. I'm practically going out to buy the champagne."

"No," Eros said snappishly, turning to face Coeus and grabbing another portrait. "I mean, the Sailor Senshi. Sure, Yamiko has gained more agathon now, but I assure you that the euphoria that she is reaching toward will only make her plummet all the more debilitating."

"Oh, this is all part of your little pet plan again."

"If you want to call it that. And I assure you, it will be a complete and utter success. Yamiko will be devastated in a way that you have never experienced."

"I've felt plenty of kakon in my day. My own shadow grew as strong as yours, Eros. Let's not turn this into a contest of whose pain is fiercer."

Eros grunted and attached another painting to the wall.

"But back to the original intent of my visit," Coeus continued, leaning forward in his chair. "The bad news. The whole hall is astir with it. Looks like you were the last to know. Even Mauros knew before you, which is pretty bad."

"Of course he did," Eros replied. His eyes were as cold as orange eyes can be, and that, Coeus knew, meant his words were chilling him. "You're his brother, remember? I'm sure you told him the minute you knew."

"Regardless," Coeus continued, ignoring the comment, "you may be interested to know that Oceanus has an assignment in Tokyo."

"Oceanus?" Eros said quietly, turning back toward Coeus suddenly. His eyes wandered nervously back to his paintings, and he grabbed another one hastily. He was trying to make himself look busy. Trying to make it look like he didn't care. Coeus grinned. "I thought he was assigned to Germany. Isn't that enough? Nemesis thinks that it's as important as Tokyo."

Coeus shrugged. "So she says, who knows what she thinks. Certainly, that front is important. All I know is that he has an assignment in Tokyo." Coeus grinned as he saw confusion and anger cross Eros' face. "But don't worry. He won't interfere with your raven-haired pet project. I did hear a rumor that it was something to do with Seisui."

"Seisui?" Eros paused again. He held up the painting he had grabbed hastily, this one of a brunette with deep blue eyes and hair that fell like a waterfall down her cheeks. "Nemesis made a point of telling me to stay away from Seisui."

"Maybe she thought you weren't competent enough to handle her," Coeus suggested.

Eros' brows knitted. "Be careful of your words, sickening Nereid," he snapped, "or you make wake up with an arrow in your back."

Coeus laughed, cold and careless. "If you try such a moronic antic," he told Eros, standing up from his chair and heading toward the door, "you may wake up missing something far more dear to you than your meaningless life."

Eros threw a golden bauble at the back of Coeus' head, but it a swift "shick" noise resounded through Eros's room. A small, mechanical gargoyle leapt from the doorway behind Coeus and caught the bauble in it's hands. Coeus snickered mockingly as he took the golden trinket from the creature's hands and placed it on the floor. Then he, along with his mechanical pet, made a cackling exit. Eros sat irritably on his bed as Coeus left the room, nursing the emotional wounds that he told himself could not matter and planning the descent of a pale-faced girl.

_~EPISODE THIRTEEN: FIN~_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Seisui**: Through the worst of lessons, I see my mistake. From now on, my tongue's a stone...

**Fubuki**: The pages of time flip onwards, the paragraphs repeat. I lock the door of my memories and throw away that key; I look forward, inviting this future with horrifying promise.

**Tokimo**: Finally, our obstacles are beaten. We can be together again, friends as always.

**Erik**: A shadow darkens her face, and soon she will not be the only one who wears the iron mask...

**Yamiko**: A new strength inside me, and a door of promise. For the first time, I feel a future that I can invite. I will walk through that threshold, and invite the warmth within...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Brightly Shrouded Threshold"_

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.

* * *


	14. Episode Fourteen: The Brightly Shrouded

"Usako," Hiroshi murmured, peeking his face into her room. The early morning light streamed through her windows, casting long shadows on the glittering floors. "You said you had something you wanted to discuss?"

"Yes," Usako replied. "Yesterday, this new communicator appeared when that Moon Senshi called me. Remember?" Usako held up a pink and silver watch, exactly like Mayumi Hatsuhara's, barring the different color scheme.

"Of course I remember. It was pretty odd, wasn't it?" He replied, making his way inside her room and sitting down. She stood by her mirror; she looked distant and contemplative. Hiroshi frowned. Though he prayed diligently on Elysion, uniting Usako and Seisui as friends was far beyond his power.

"Well, when I de-transformed, that wasn't the only strange thing that happened. Look at this." Usako fumbled through her school uniform's pockets until she pulled out her transformation brooch. Hiroshi's eyes widened in surprise; unlike the brilliantly shining crystal star that Usako usually used to transform into Sailor Star Pinkmoon, this brooch was a sparkling pink circle. In the center was a silver crescent moon, and surrounding the brooch were four circular jewels; one pink, one silver, one red and one gold. "It looks familiar, but I can't quite place it...I think I remember learning about it. Wasn't it one of Mama's?"

Hiroshi paused. "Sailor Moon used a brooch like this, during the Silver Millennium. But the coloring was different. Hers was gold, not pink, and the stones around it represented the four guardians. The four stones on this brooch...well, two of them are consistent with the rest of the brooch's colors, pink and silver. The other two...well, I'm not sure. Red used to be on Sailor Moon's outfit during the Silver Millennium...red is also one of Earth's colors. Gold is another Earth color--it's the color of Endymion's crystal. So maybe that's what the other two represent. More importantly, though...this is the same design as the Moon Senshi's brooch."

"The Moon Senshi? But why would I have a brooch like the Moon Senshi have?"

He frowned. Good question. "I don't know. But the most logical explanation I can think of is that when Mayumi used her communicator, it sparked some kind of inner recognition of your sailor crystal as belonging to a moon. Then this brooch was reborn."

"I'm not sure I understand..."

"Usako, when Sailor Uranus and Neptune realized they were Sailor Senshi back in the 20th century, they were able to summon their pens and transform. Luna didn't have to intervene and tell them their destiny. What this suggests is that when Mayumi communicated with your via her watch, it sparked a recognition--that you were a Moon Senshi. That recognition could have been an automatic reaction on the part of your sailor crystal, or it could have been that you recognized it yourself on some subconscious level. Regardless, this brooch probably means that your Senshi power is now less like your Mother's than ever. It would mean that you're a Sailor Senshi that only the Moon Senshi's memories have a record of, who existed before the Silver Millenium--Sailor Luna."

"Sailor Luna?" Usako's eyes were clouded in confusion.

"Have you tried transforming?" Hiroshi asked.

"Not yet," she replied. "I wanted your advice first."

"Is your crystal still the same?"

Usako nodded. "Yes. It's still the Pink Crystal."

"That isn't so surprising," he mused. "You changed the Silver Crystal to the Pink Crystal because you found your own inner power and confidence, but your Star Senshi transformation came about because of your desire to unite with the other planetary Senshi. Now that you're independent and lead a team separate from Sailor Moon's, I'm sure your power as a Star Senshi weakened. Power that comes from uniting with the planets isn't going to hold much strength now that you no longer work with them. But if you're a Moon Senshi, your power works differently. According to what we've learned about them so far, their power is strong as long as they aren't in discord with their planet, priest, and fellow moons. Since your bond with your father, Elysion and I is strong, you should be too, as long as you're confident. And even though the Moon Senshi's power is old, we know from experience that it isn't weak."

"Does that mean that I'm Sailor Luna now, instead of Sailor Pinkmoon?"

"You'll know when you try to transform."

Usako nodded. "Luna prism power, make up!"

* * *

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru  
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Fourteen:

"The Brightly Shrouded Threshold"

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean, we can just get a ramen delivery or something. I might be rich, but I still like ramen," Kane told Yamiko. She was rilfling through the cookbooks that sat neatly shelved by the kitchen. It was an impressive collection; there were several shelves of books, and they covered every style of cooking from Japanese to Mexican. "You really don't have to cook."

"Don't tell her that!" Sayoko warned him, jabbing him in the stomach. "We want her to cook. Yamiko cooks well. Don't listen to him, Yami!"

"It's okay, Kane," she said. "I need something to distract me after all I went through tonight. Now come on. What's your favorite dish?"

"Spani--er, Spanish rice," He told her."Or anything with tomatoes, really, especially Mexican food."

"Hm, Mexican food," Yamiko said thoughtfully. "That's interesting. Where did you aquire a taste for Mexican food?"

He smiled. "I like spicy foods," he explained.

"Well, I like to try making anything. Spanish rice is Mexican, huh? That's kind of funny," Yamiko remarked, pulling out a thin volume marked 'Tomates, Chili and Corn: The Food of Mexico' and looking through the index. "Here it is. Looks pretty simple."

"So, Mr. Amano," Sayoko said devilishly, holding a fist toward Kane as though she held a microphone. "Is it true that you and Yamiko had a romantic rendezvous after she gallantly saved you from an attacking youma?"

"No, Sayoko," Kane replied with a grin. "Much to your disappointment, me and Yamiko are currently just friends."

"I see. But you say 'currently'. Do you have hopes that your friendship might develop into something much deeper?"

"I don't believe that is any of your business, Miss Sayoko," Kane tactfully replied.

"Sayoko, leave it alone before I throw one of these peppers at you." Yamiko brandished a large green bell pepper with apparent enthusiasm.

"So Kane," Sayoko said nervously, changing the subject, "you like movies, right? Let's watch a movie. I know, this one looks good." Sayoko pulled out her secret weapon with glee; 'Feverish Nights'. Featuring two hours of metaphorically touching romance and only a little less of the literal type, this tape was guaranteed to spring-board any romance. She'd just stealthily sneak out halfway through...

"Sayoko, the fact that you want to watch this movie with your sister disturbs me in a way that no words can express." He looked at the tape with skepticism. "What is that movie rated, anyway?"

"Only R," she said with confidence; then added in a murmur, "barely."

"Somehow, Sayoko, I don't think that forcing your sister to watch a movie that borders on erotica is going to encourage her to go out with me. In fact, I would venture the opinion it will only make her extremely uncomfortable. If it has to be romance, at least make it something a little more tasteful."

"Sayoko, please. Let's watch something happy to take my mind off things," Yamiko said, throwing two cans of tomatoes in her pot.

"How about a Disney movie? Those are cheerful and romantic," Sayoko said hopefully.

"Disney?" Kane asked in confusion.

"Yeah, you know...those old kid's cel movies from way back when. Yamiko likes Beauty and the Beast, don't you, Yamiko?" Sayoko said with a grin.

"Please. Don't embarrass me," She scowled, adding the peppers.

"That sounds like fun. I'd like to see what Yamiko likes," Kane said.

"Oh, please don't," Yamiko pleaded. "It's embarrassing."

"It sounds cute," he insisted. "Let's do it after dinner."

"I am not watching a Disney movie," Yamiko said stubbornly. "You two can while I eat all of this food I'm making."

"Oh, come on Yamiko," Sayoko pouted. "Pleeeeeease?"

"Pleeease?" Kane chimed in enthusiastically.

"Serenity!" Yamiko cursed. "We might as well, since you two are such children anyway!"

Kane and Sayoko grinned at each other broadly and clapped their hands together in victory. Though Yamiko hid it, Sayoko knew she was having a good time. And that meant that Yamiko might finally be making a friend.

* * *

"Seisui!" Tokimo shouted in enthusiasm, waving her hands violently. Seisui was quite a ways off, but Tokimo knew her face anywhere.

"Hello," Seisui replied as she caught up, looking wearily toward Tokimo. "You're in a good mood."

"Of course," Tokimo grinned, making a victory sign. "I could take down a youma with my pinkie today!"

Seisui smiled weakly. "It wouldn't be surprised if you could. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't already."

"But you look a little under the weather," Tokimo continued, dropping her hand. "Are you okay? Do you need a dose of fool-proof, guaranteed Tokimo energy?"

"No, I just didn't sleep well last night. Yesterday was kind of a long day, and I had a lot of homework."

"Oh..." Tokimo remembered yesterday and what The Crimson Eagle had told her. "Well...I could help you with your homework, and then it would go by faster!"

"The time would go by faster," Kouken remarked from Tokimo's backpack, "But not the homework."

"It's okay Tokimo," Seisui said reassuringly. "It probably just seemed longer because I hadn't gotten that much sleep." Seisui weaved her fingers together in an offhand motion, bringing her arms in front of her. She smiled innocently.

Tokimo glanced downward at the motion and noticed a row of skin-toned strips taped around her finger joint. Band-aids. "Oh wow. Did you get hurt, Seisui?" She asked, grabbing Seisui's right hand and looking downward in concern. Seisui drew her hand back, alarmed.

"I fell," she said, putting her hand in her pocket. "It still kind of stings."

"Oh," Tokimo replied, frowning, then quickly changing her expression to a rather unconvincing smile. "Well, at least I have good news! My mom baked cookies last night, and she made enough for all of us. Even The Grumpy Eagle! We can share them all at lunch."

"Why did she make so many?" Seisui asked. "We don't usually eat lunch together."

"Today we do," Kouken announced authoritatively. "We need to confront Erik about being The Crimson Eagle. Plus, we heard another news story last night."

"You mean--"

"Yup," Tokimo said, nodding. "There was another youma attack."

"What happened?" Seisui asked, "Who was there?"

"Well," Kouken replied, "We'll ask Yamiko this afternoon."

* * *

Fubuki frowned as a rapid, highly obnoxious bleeping sound emanated from her pocket. She sighed and pretended to ignore it, waited a minute, then got pissed off and angrily pulled her communicator from her pocket, flipping open the green and black face.

"What the fuck do you want!" She shouted into her communicator. Tokimo's stunned face looked up blankly from the watch's A/V screen.

"Um," she said dumbly, "We were wondering if you could meet us today at lunch. To talk about the youma and stuff."

"Oh, fuck," she said with a sigh. "Look, I'm not in the Sailor Senshi club, okay? You can have your little picnic without me."

"But you were the only one there when the youma attacked the church," Tokimo pleaded. "And I have cookies."

"Fucking Serenity! Do you honestly think that cookies are going to persuade me?"

Tokimo paused, sizing up an appropriate response. "They're really good cookies," she said earnestly.

"What's going on?" Jirou asked. Fubuki was making her way half-assedly toward school; as he approached her on his own trek to government-regulated hell, he noticed her loudly shouting into what he presumed was her communicator. "You aren't planning some kind of insane Senshi thing again, are you?"

Fubuki glared at him. "And what if I was?"

"Serenity! Isn't what you've done already bad enough?"

"I'm coming!" Fubuki shouted authoratively into the communicator. "Even though your Senshi picnic is about the fucking stupidest thing I've heard of. So it better be damn good." With that, she closed Tokimo's A/V channel. Stupid picnic.

"Why the fuck are you getting involved with them again?" Jirou asked.

"Because I'm sick of you bossing me around," Fubuki snapped. "Why the hell shouldn't I get involved with them?"

Jirou rolled his eyes. "Fubuki, it's dangerous. You could get killed. You could have gotten arrested. I'm surprised you haven't already."

"Not anymore," Fubuki said with a wicked grin. "I saved those dumbasses at the church. I saved them, and not only that, I managed to show my mom that she can't give me shit anymore."

"So, was your plan to make your mom go ape-shit insane successful, then? Is she cowering in a corner, murmuring to herself?"

"Damn straight," Fubuki said. She watched a beetle slowly crawl across the glittering sidewalk; euphoric and celebratory at her recent victory, she squished it into the ground-up crystal and managed to get a brief glimpse of it's crushed remains before walking on toward school. "I'm free! I'm disgusted at myself for taking this long to think of this."

"I can't believe that you're so happy about this," Jirou replied irritably, running a finger along the fence that lined the street to school. "I mean, I would be if I were you, but you're so inconsistent about your mom. Even though you say you hate her, you're always defending her."

"I'm not always defending her!" Fubuki replied angrily, turning toward Jirou. "But it's nobody's business but my own what kind of person my mother is, and whether or not I or anyone else should hate her! That includes you, Jirou!"

"Well, it shouldn't!" he replied angrily, dropping his hand from the wall-like fence and stuffing it in his pocket. "Fucking Serenity, I'm your boyfriend! I'm not 'anyone else', and it is my business whether or not you should hate her. And if I am anyone else--" He dropped off, his face seething with anger.

"Well? Finish your goddammed sentence!" Fubuki challenged him, turning around and looking at his face. "If you're so fucking important, I should listen to your sage advice!"

"If I am anyone else, then why the hell am I your boyfriend?" He shouted, heedless of the huge scene they were causing.

They faced off for a moment, so-called lovers staring at each other like they were about to pull out pistols and face off in a duel. "Fubuki," Jirou continued, more quietly this time. "If your mother is a bitch, if you don't care that she's a psychological vegetable, then fine. I certainly don't care. But you don't act like you don't care! Half the time you're defending her!"

"Yeah, well, even if I am inconsistent, I'm not the only one. The last time we talked, you swore she was going to come out of her senses!"

"She probably will! But that's not the subject at hand. The subject at hand is your inconsistency. It's that I can't believe you were willing to do this to the same bitch who you defend every time I insult her! You need to hurry up and decide what you think before she really does go permanently insane!"

"I hope she does," Fubuki replied. "I promise on my grave, Jirou...I really do hate her. Ever since dad died. After what happened then, I'll never forgive that bitch."

"Then why are you always defending her? Why are you so happy about beating her but angry when other people insult her?"

"I already told you, goddammit! It's nobody's business but my own." She paused. "Besides...she used to be okay. Purely because of that, I at least want other people to shut up."

"But why is it any worse if they insult her than if you do?" Jirou asked in exasperation.

"Because it's bad enough if I have to hate her," Fubuki said in annoyance. "I don't want other people to, too!"

"And yet you would be just as angry if someone defended her!"

"She's still a bitch, and she doesn't deserve to be defended, either."

"Then what the hell do you want me to do?" Jirou asked, raising his hands in exasperation.

"Forget about her," Fubuki said darkly. "Bury her, the same way she's buried herself in that room. Never mention her again."

"That's almost more hateful than insulting her," Jirou responded dryly.

_"Where's mama, Michito?" her eyes looked pleadingly up at her nana._

_"She's at work, Fubuki. She can't see you right now."_

"She's done just as bad to me."

* * *

"So will you come?" Tokimo asked Yamiko, her eyes wide and pleading. "Cookies?"

"I don't know," Yamiko curtly replied. "Are you going to try and make me kill anyone?"

Tokimo paused and shook her head with a frown. "No. It looks like even Seisui has decided to hold off on that. We just want to know about the youma, and what's been going on with each other lately. Like that weird guy who showed up last night, for example. We want to know who he is."

"Weird guy?" Yamiko asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Tokimo continued, "something about a guy that shot an arrow at a civilian."

"Eros..." Yamiko mumbled, half to herself. "I think Erik and Ikkoku know something about him."

Tokimo turned toward Erik, who seemed half-absorbed in a book on astrology.

"Erik!" She said authoritatively, slamming a fist on his desk. Erik looked over his astrology book with a decidedly blasé expression.

"Yes, Tokimo?" he asked, putting the volume down.

"Today! Lunch break! Meeting! Senshi!"

"Talk in! Complete sentences! In front of! Your English teacher!" he replied. "And keep it down while you're at it," he added in a quieter tone.

"Whatever," Tokimo said. "In any case, can we meet at lunch? We want to discuss the recent string of youma attacks. The ones I keep missing out on," she added bitterly, crossing her arms. "You should ring me up next time or something, so I don't miss out on the action. How come only Knights get a nifty danger sense?"

"Because it's our duty to protect Sailor Senshi," was his disinterested response. "I suppose you'll never give me peace unless I go, Tokimo, so I will. And I suppose it would be helpful for you to know some of what went on last night."

"Yamiko says you know about that guy that showed up last night. Yamiko mumbled his name...something with an 'E'."

"Eros. Yeah, I know a little about him. But I wasn't born in the same area of the Solar System, so I didn't know him that well," Erik explained. "And there aren't any other Moon Senshi around here from that area, either, let alone senshi that remember that much of their past life."

"Why, where is he from? Didn't he ever travel?"

"I'll explain more at lunch. For now, go sit down."

"Yeah, yeah," Tokimo replied, sighing as she made her way to her seat.

* * *

Kazeko made her way down the hallways as unobtrusively as she possibly could; a difficult feat, given her bright red hair and disproportionately tall height. She glanced nervously back and forth; as soon as she glanced at a passing stranger, they quickly averted their obviously gawking eyes.

"Kazeko!" a voice whispered behind her. Kazeko shuddered in violent fear as she felt a hand tugging somewhat persistently on her sleeve. She paused for a moment, recovering from the initial shock and remembering the safety of her surroundings. Those people, those places, were long ago and far away now. Nothing she found here could harm her. At least, Dannu willing, she hoped not.

Kazeko turned around nervously. It was Seisui, looking up at her and clearly on edge. Once she could have known if Seisui was anywhere in the vicinity, thanks to Seisui's bizarre guardian spirit...now, she had been able to sneak up on her. "Y-yes?" she stammered in response.

"There's...some kind of meeting today. Tokimo and Kouken set it up," she continued. Kazeko backed away; a meeting with Kouken and Tokimo was something she was decidedly not ready for. "Wait!" Seisui continued, tightening her grip on Kazeko's sleeve. "I know you're still probably not comfortable with all of this, but..." Seisui paused and turned her face toward the floor; her hand, however, was still tightly clenched onto Kazeko's uniform. Kazeko forced herself to relax; what was Seisui really trying to say? Through her sleeve, she could feel Seisui's sore fingers, throbbing in pain from...

"...But I think it would be good for you to come," she continued. Kazeko half-listened and slided halfway into meditation. "You wouldn't have to say anything, and if anyone tried to pressure you into telling them more about yourself than you're comfortable with, you could always leave..."

Kazeko held back a gasp, waking suddenly from contemplative state. Throbbing in pain. She glanced at Seisui's fingers; her finger joints were covered in bandages. It was some kind of hit. Had something hit her? "Are you okay?" she asked, gingerly taking Seisui's wrist and looking at her fingers. "It looks like you hurt yourself."

Seisui jerked her fingers back violently, her more-or-less calm demeanor shattering abruptly. "I fell. Not a big deal," She said nervously. "But will you come? You can leave if they push for more than you want to tell them."

"I'll go," Kazeko replied in resignation, frowning thoughtfully. "But I may not stay long."

Seisui nodded. "I understand."

* * *

"Fucking Serenity. They're here, too?" Fubuki cursed, motioning toward Usako and Hiroshi.

"It may be easy to forget this, given her nigh-constant exposure to the public," Usako retorted, barely concealing her anger, "But I'll politely remind you that that is my Mother whose name you are using as an expletive."

"So what? I'm often pretty close to using my own mother's name as a curse-word," Fubuki replied.

"No fighting!" Tokimo shouted authoritatively, making a "time-out" motion with her hands and standing decisively between them. "We're not here to hang out because we're friends. This is strictly senshi business! You can fight after the meeting is over."

"Not worth it," Fubuki mumbled, spitting onto the ground beside her. She grinned in satisfaction as Hiroshi expressed his displeasure with a grimace.

"Well, are we all here?" Yamiko asked, glancing around at the assembled Moon Senshi, most of whom were sitting down as if resigned to an undesirable fate. "It looks that way to me. Shall we get this whole business over with?"

"We can't start yet," Kouken said with a sigh. "Erik and the hawk aren't here yet."

Ikkoku swooped down beside Kouken, primming her feathers delicately. "I'm a falcon," She said quietly, hoping to minimize on the attention they were already likely to attract. "And my name is Ikkoku."

"Whatever," he responded.

"You know...falcons eat rodents," Ikkoku replied devilishly.

"I'm not a rodent. I'm a ferret."

"Whatever."

"Not 'whatever'," Kouken replied in annoyance. "There's a big difference. Rodents are--"

"That's enough of that," Erik interrupted them. Ikkoku looked up at him innocently, and Kouken just scowled irritably from where he sat in Tokimo's lap. "Let's get this over with, shall we? And try to keep your voices down. We're already drawing more attention than I'm comfortable with."

"Jeez, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Tokimo complained.

"No, I just know that most of you mix like oil and water."

"In any case, Let's take stock of what's happened so far. We were all here for the first battle," Hiroshi said.

"Oh yeah!" Tokimo exclaimed, motioning to Erik. "That's when we found out you were the Crimson Eagle. Why were you so intent on denying it, anyway?"

Erik frowned. "Because I didn't know myself until that very moment. It was that youma that first revealed it to me."

"But how could you not know? You were parading around as the Crimson Eagle on a regular basis! You jumped out of my apartment window!" Yamiko said.

"I'd rather not get into specifics. But my memories were limited to a mask that appeared in front of me. Everything after that was black. Sometimes I would come back as Erik with wounds or in strange locations, without knowing how or why my situation came about. Even now, some of my memories are a little fuzzy. And I still know very little about my past life."

"What about you?" Hiroshi asked, turning toward Ikkoku. "What's your connection to him? Who are you?"

"I'm Ikkoku, the gyrfalcon. I keep Erik out of trouble."

Hiroshi opened his mouth as if to say more, but Erik held up his hand as if to motion for silence. "Don't bother," He told him. "She won't give you a straight answer. I've been trying to get one for weeks, to no avail."

"Are you sure it's safe for her to hang around, then?" Hiroshi asked. "She could be the enemy!"

"She could be the enemy. She could not. She could be someone they're looking for, and the we're the only ones keeping her safe. She could, in fact, be the only way to beat them. Hell, she could be my mother, for all I know. Let's not make any foregone conclusions."

"Really, you were born from an egg," Ikkoku told him.

Erik chose to ignore her comment. "In any case, you all know who I am now, and that's all that really matters at this point. I think trying to find out more about the enemy is far more important."

"You seemed to know something about Eros," Yamiko said, turning toward Erik. "The one who shot Kane."

"Kane?" Fubuki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like Yamiko said, The boy who was shot," Erik explained. "By Eros. I do know a little. As I'm sure you all know by now, once all of the planets had Moon Senshi like Sailor Moon and priests like Helios, who guarded the planet's inner holy lands. The Moons from the outside, the holy land and priest from the inside, and the Sailor Senshi on the surface were collectively known as the three powers. And Eros was the priest of Venus, who protected its holy land of Aphrodite." Realizing the meeting was unlikely to end anytime soon, Erik sat down on the grass in front of the Moon Senshi and pulled out an unassuming gray lunch box. "Personality-wise, I know less. But I do know that he had taken many lovers, male and female, and that he was seeking a wife when the war broke out. He had already been through many prospective candidates. Given his reputation as something of a player, I presume he wasn't taking his search very seriously. But then, they also said back then that he was well-mannered, so perhaps I assume too much."

"Well, the flirt part wouldn't surprise me," Fubuki said, "seeing as his youma are always attractive women. But what the fuck is up with all those weird pictures?"

"Pictures?" Seisui asked.

"Yeah. The youma always leave behind pictures of themselves. Not even camera pictures--painted pictures." Fubuki responded.

"It might have something to do with how he creates them," Hiroshi replied. "Different youma have been created different ways in the past. The Black Moon's droids were created from dummy-like figures, and Professor Tomoe used his failed experiments. Sailor Galaxia used mortals or former Sailor Senshi and gave them the power to transform, as though they had Sailor Crystals. This could be the way the new enemy creates their Youma."

"Weird," Tokimo responded, raising an eyebrow. "But if Eros is alive as an evil undead priest or whatever, what about the other priests? Are they alive too?"

There was a pause as everyone digested Tokimo's probable surmise.

"We can't say anything for sure, yet," Yamiko said at last. "We wouldn't even know who they're working for, if anyone. And it's still perfectly possible that only Eros--"

Seisui let out a brief gasp, turning everyone's eyes on her. She blushed and put a hand over her mouth--a bandaged hand--and then quickly and nervously set it back by her side. "No, it's not possible," she interjected animatedly.

"Wait--what?" Kouken replied, confused. "What isn't--"

"The other priests. They are alive!" she continued.

"How do you know?" Yamiko asked, a little nervous.

"I've seen them," she explained. "When I was on Nemesis. At first I saw them as statues. They were in the center of a group of many, many statues, but most of them were Senshi and Knights. The Priests were dressed differently, though, and that was how I could recognize them as being unusual. There were eight of them, and they had these weird outfits with lapels on them. Just like Helios' lapels, but they were shaped like each planet's symbol. And then later...later, when the castle of Nemesis rose out of the ground, just before Tokimo rescued me, those statues came to life. I don't know that any of them were Eros, but there was one named...I can't remember. I can't remember his name, but there was another one, a woman, with a glaive..."

"Wait!" Erik interrupted her. "Did you say a woman?"

Seisui nodded.

"That can't be right," Hiroshi said. "At least if this rule holds true for the other planets besides Earth, Priests can only be men. Their assistants, the maenads, are women. Are you sure she was a woman?"

"I...I thought it was a woman. But It was awhile ago now, and I was so afraid at the time. She saved one of the Priests from killing me, and gave me my brooch; I wasn't really thinking too closely about her appearance at the time."

"That means she--or he--summoned it from the Crystal Palace, where we were keeping it at the time. No mean feat," Helios interjected.

"I was able to summon my brooch when someone else was holding it," Kazeko offered timidly.

"Yeah, but that was just me and Tokimo," Kouken replied. "We weren't trying to keep it away from you and it was your own magical talisman. And I'm sure that Hiroshi put no small amount of magical guards on that brooch to keep Seisui from summoning it."

"We had always just assumed that Seisui's retrieval of her brooch was an exceptionally powerful act of will," Hiroshi explained. "The fact that what we'll assume, for the moment, was a priest was able to break through that barrier and summon it means that they are almost certainly more powerful than I am. Or that someone else is helping them become more powerful."

"Nemesis," Seisui and Usako said. Seisui glared darkly at Usako. Usako's only guess was that Seisui was annoyed for being in any way similar to her.

"So the priests, including Eros, are almost certainly working for Nemesis," Yamiko said darkly.

"Bad news," Erik said, shaking his head.

"Even though we've been getting our memories back, albeit slowly, I don't remember the priests very well," Seisui said. She glanced at Erik. "I'm surprised you seem to know so much about them."

"I had reasons to seek them out toward the end of the war," he explained. "Though I never found them. They disappeared around that time, and until now, I never knew where to. I had always thought that Diana killed them in secret," Erik explained.

"But what are their aims?" Yamiko asked. "So far, Eros, or whoever, just seems to be attacking innocent people at random."

"No, that can't be right, either," Seisui disagreed. "Or at least, I doubt it. If we think about the three places that the Youma have attacked, it's true that in some ways they just seem like locations that were chosen because they would have flocks of innocent people--a school, one of the largest churches in the world, and a highly publicized gala. But if we think about it from another sense, they're far less random. The school that the youma attacked is the school that all of the Tokyo Sailor Senshi attend. The church is the one that Fubuki goes to--" Fubuki grimaced at Seisui as she said these words. "--Willing or not. And the gala is the one that Yamiko just happened to be invited to. And how many of us have been to galas recently?"

"But that would create all kinds of unlikely assumptions," Usako. "For one, it would mean that the Priests would have to know all of our identities, and where we were at almost any given point! And if they didn't know where we were at any given point, it would have to mean they'd orchestrated things so that we'd be in a certain location when they attacked us!"

"Well, stranger things have happened," Hiroshi replied. "The Dead Moon circus was able to do all--or at least most--of those things."

There was an uncomfortable silence. "And what about that strange new Senshi that appeared?" Tokimo said, breaking the uneasiness.

"Oh, Sailor Io," Yamiko responded. "Yeah. Believe it or not, she's Mayumi Hatsuhara! Isn't that weird?"

"Mayumi Hatsuhara?" Fubuki repeated incredulously. "And I thought one piece of sugar shi--"

"Mayumi Hatsuhara?" Tokimo exclaimed jubilantly. "You mean A-Girl's-Delight-Always-Always-Light-by-my-Window-A-Maidens-Dream singing Mayumi Hatsuhara?"

"Um, the Idol," Yamiko replied. "So yeah, I think so."

Tokimo looked so ecstatic you could practically see stars shining in her eyes. Which was a little frightening, Yamiko thought.

"Wow. Why didn't we invite her to the meeting?" Tokimo complained.

"She didn't seem that interested in becoming a Sailor Senshi on a regular basis," Erik explained. "She said she was too busy." he frowned. "Frankly, I find it a rather irresponsible decision."

Tokimo frowned. "She must have her reasons," she said. "I'm sure she has good reasons."

"Well, we'll talk to her more if we meet her again," Usako assured Tokimo. "We'll see if we can't convince her."

"So what should we do about the youma and Nemesis?" Yamiko asked.

"For now, we'll use the communicators and let each other know when the youma attack," Erik said. "Or at least, that seems to be the most logical solution. The enemy is almost certainly from Nemesis, but I doubt that a full-out attack on Nemesis is a good idea until we have a better idea of who we're dealing with. Especially if, as Seisui says, there are Knights, Senshi and a handful of Priests ready to greet us."

"I agree," Kouken said, nodding his head.

Fubuki raised her hand. "Can we call it quits on this goddammed meeting now?"

"Adjourned," Kouken said with a sigh, climbing back into Tokimo's bag. "Lunch bell's ready to ring anyhow."

* * *

Leaning on a tree, Fubuki watched as the Sailor Senshi made their exit and went back to their classes. Except for one.

Fubuki grabbed Seisui's wrist as the pathetic thing started to make her way back to class; a devious grin on her face, she pivoted Seisui on her arm and spun her in a half-circle, not unlike a rather unwilling dance partner.

"What?" Seisui snapped, frowning. "If you want to talk with me, you know, you can just ask. I don't have any reason to particularly avoid you, unlike the rest of this school."

Fubuki didn't say anything at first. Instead, she twisted Seisui's right arm back into it's natural position, heedless of Seisui's attempts to free herself. This was the girl that went charging after Serenity with only a knife, a uniform and a lot of balls? Fubuki could crush her. She held up her right hand, whose finger joints were covered in a neat row of bandages.

"Interesting," Fubuki said, uninflected.

"What? I just fell and--"

Fubuki flipped over Seisui's hand, exposing her palm, and grabbed the edge of the bandage. With a rather unceremonious tug, she pulled off her left-most bandage, revealing her raw and barely scabbed over finger joint. "Well, now, what a shock," Fubuki said sarcastically. "Sei, how could you? Think how disappointed Tokimo and all your little Senshi friends would be if they found out what you were doing."

"What do you mean?" she asked, tugging at Fubuki, trying to free her arm. "I told you, I fell--""

"Fell? Fell and punched your hand into a wall? Over and over?" Fubuki asked mocking. "You make me sick, Seisui. And here I had respect for you, but you're still doing middle school theatrics. And you don't even have a license." Fubuki pulled up Seisui's uniform sleeve from the same hand; two or three nicks with bright red scabs crossed over each other like streamers on her skin. "Fucking Serenity, look at this! Look at you! You make me sick. How old are you again? How old?"

"Th-thirteen," she mumbled.

"Thirteen!" Fubuki pushed Seisui backward, sending her to the ground. "Thirteen, huh? And you think your life is so bad. I can see it. It's written right there on your arm! You've got a lot of nerve! You think you come from a broken family, huh? You think you don't have any friends?"

"I do!" She shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "And I don't!"

"Don't make me laugh. At least you still have family members who actually give a fuck about you. And you have a friend, you just whine and moan and pretend you don't. You make me sick. And you know what? When I punch things 'cause I'm goddamn angry, at least I have the nerve not to put bandages on the cuts!" She held up her hands--both of them--and showed Seisui the ragged, blood-streaked and ripped up joints. "It's like you're crying out 'Oh, I'm so hurt that I hurt myself,' but you don't even have the nerve to really show it, to really hurt yourself. You're just pretending like you hate yourself that much, pretending you want to hurt yourself, but really, you don't. You just hurt yourself enough--just enough--to convince yourself that you really want to."

"That's not true!" Seisui shouted. "You don't understand me! And you never will! Nobody will ever understand me, but least of all you!"

"I understand you," Fubuki replied, spitting as she walked past Seisui. She was still slumped on the ground like a dog. "I understand you so well it makes me sick to my goddamn core."

She only glanced back at Seisui once before re-entering the school; after this, she decided, she would never exchange words with her again.

* * *

"Hey, Usako," Hiroshi said. Usako had been feeling encouraged after their meeting with the Moon Senshi; she seemed to think that things were finally turning up between her and the Moon Senshi--maybe, even, between her and Seisui. She had already packed down a serving of flan and a strawberry crepe at the fashionable cafe on the main strip toward the palace, and seemed to be pondering between rice pudding or a strawberry parfait for her next victim. "Don't you think we should have told them about your new brooch?"

Usako glanced back toward him. She had been looking out at the window, weighing her dessert choices as she watched people walk contentedly down the street lined with tall, sparkling crystal buildings. "It think it'll be a lot more fun if it's a surprise. It's not like it's super urgent news. And we already know I can transform okay with it, and I can still heal people with the crystal. So there's no danger from that arena, either."

"What do you mean, a surprise exactly?"

"Well, I'll show up when the next youma arrives. Then I can announce my presence as Sailor Luna. I'm still working on the specifics. I'm not sure if I should do a speech or not...definitely, if I do, it should be something new. I'm ready to turn over my image as mother's replacement."

"Usako..." he began, his voice half-annoyed and half-resigned. He sipped his hot chocolate uneasily, his red eyes still staring up at her. "This isn't a game, you know. Maybe you're just anxious to prove yourself like your mother has, but--"

"Don't worry about me, Hiroshi," she interrupted him. "After all, you were the one that gave me confidence when I was still young. I know this isn't a game. But if I can take some kind of enjoyment out of it, I'll do so while I still can. Because fighting alongside my mother, it's been my experience that things only become more and more trying later on. Let's make the best of the time when we don't yet have to worry about losing."

"That reminds me," Helios continued, replacing his cocoa on its saucer. "I know now that Seisui's united with the other Moon Senshi again, you'll want to try and make friends with her. But I don't want you getting your hopes up too much, because--"

"I won't, Hiroshi. I know you're just worried about seeing me disappointed. But I realize that if Seisui ever becomes my friend, it won't be for a long, long time." Her face darkened as she said it; she seemed lost in thought.

"I've begun to think, Usako, that maybe she really was just pretending the whole time she was with us. I always wanted to think that she had grown to like us in spite of herself, but...I really think she just wanted a chance..."

Hiroshi broke off his sentence as he watched Usako bury her face suddenly in her arms. Her shoulders quivered as a muffled wail escaped from her.

"I really wanted to believe that," Usako muttered. "I wanted to believe I could make friends the way mama always did, that I could help lonely people become happy, just like she did with Ami and Mako and Haruka...but I can't. I finally think I helped someone, and they were just lying to me. Just using me. And I'll never be anything but an enemy to Seisui!"

Hiroshi was almost too dumbfounded at her sudden outburst to respond. Although even Usako had her moments of weakness, usually she was so composed...

"That's not true!" Hiroshi responded, gathering his wits. "You helped Hotaru. The world could have ended if you hadn't, and Hotaru certainly wouldn't have been as happy as she is today! And what about me? I was all alone and weak until you guided me, maiden."

Usako peeked an eye above her sleeve; it was blood shot and filled with tears. Hiroshi gingerly bent over the table and kissed her on the forehead; as he sat back down, Usako straightened her back and rubbed her sleeve over her weepy eyes. "You're right," She agreed, her voice tired. "But it's still frustrating."

Hiroshi nodded. "We'll find a way through this, Usako. Things will work out somehow."

* * *

"Kazeko!" Tokimo shouted, grabbing her shoulder as they walked away from school. Kazeko let out a long, whiny-sounding gasp.

"W-w-w-what?" She shakily managed to reply. She put a hand on the tall wall nearest the sidewalk and tried to compose herself.

"Kazeko, you read my mind, didn't you!" Tokimo asked accusingly, coming around in front of Kazeko and pointing her finger.

Kazeko could feel herself trembling.

_"You're Satanists!" The man shouted, his glove-covered hand pointing at them accusingly._

_"Deidre, get out of here! I'll fend them off!" He had shouted then, pushing her away from the gathering men. They wore the COP uniform, their red cloaks emblazoned with a shining golden cross._

_"What can you do, Iain? You're not any stronger than I am. Let's run!" she had cried, grabbing onto his wrist. He jerked it away._

_"Run away, Deidre! I'm not coming with you, so don't bother trying!"_

"Kazeko!" Tokimo shouted in alarm. "Are you crying? Here..." Tokimo rifled through her bag, pulling out a purple tin. "Have some cookies. I forgot all about it when it came for the meeting, so now I have all of them left, and--"

Kazeko held her hand up. "I-I-I-I'm f-fine. B-but...please...don't startle me."

Tokimo nodded earnestly. "Right. So why did you read my mind?"

"I can't read minds," Kazeko replied numbly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"But neither Tokimo nor I told you about the Senshi meeting today," Kouken explained. "We didn't think you'd be up for it. But you came. How did you know about it?"

"Seisui told me," she explained weakly. "She seemed very anxious for me to come."

Tokimo paused, her expression becoming uncharacteristically uneasy. "But why?'

"I don't know. I assumed that you were discussing something you thought only I would know. But that didn't happen, so..."

"You said she seemed anxious?" Tokimo asked unhappily.

"Yes. And I remember trying to get in tune with her...she also seemed...in pain."

"In pain?" Tokimo frowned. Maybe it had to do with those bandages?

"Yes, well, she was in physical pain. But it was an emotional pain, too."

Tokimo grabbed Kazeko's arm. "Why?" she asked sadly, as much to herself as Kazeko. Erik had said she had decided to stop fighting. That meant they could be friends again. So Seisui should be happy, right? She had seemed a little under the weather that morning, but she had said that was because she was up late last night. That was it, right?

"She didn't say, and I didn't ask," Kazeko responded, gently pulling her arm away."I knew she wouldn't answer me." Kazeko paused and looked away, as though lost in her thoughts. "Did you know, Tokimo, that she is repressing her guardian spirit?"

"Her guardian spirit? You called Kouken a spirit, didn't you?" Tokimo looked backwards toward her backpack. "Kouken, has Seisui been repressing you?"

"Tokimo," Kouken sighed, "I think she means her element."

"You mean that weird goop?" Tokimo asked. "The one that turns into that freaky guy?"

"That strange man is called Black Water, which is also the name of the weird goop, as you call it," Kazeko explained. "When I first met her, Seisui had a very strong presence, though it was one full of hatred. But when I talked to her by the oak the other day--"

"You talked to Seisui the other day?" Tokimo asked, moving back toward Kazeko with a look of concern. Why was Seisui talking to everyone but her? First Erik, and now Kazeko... "What did you talk about?"

"I, uh...she wasn't very detailed. She said that she had to move on, that everything was in the past...and she said that she was being forced to be okay by her own volition."

"But that's a paradox," Kouken's muffled voice observed.

"I know," Kazeko replied, furrowing her brows in confusion. "It's as complicated as spirit-talk."

Tokimo could feel unhappiness and frustration rising within her. Why did it matter if Seisui talked to Erik or Kazeko? That didn't make them any less friends, did it? Why was this so frustrating? If Kazeko was right, and Seisui was upset about something, why didn't she tell her? Seisui always told her before! There was silence for a moment as Tokimo seemed to mill over what Kazeko had said.

"But what did you mean by repressing Black Water?" Kouken asked. "Is she going through some kind of denial?"

"No, she knows who Black Water is, I think. It's a weird concept, but...I think she's sort of holding back her own power, restraining herself. In English, there is an expression that speaks of bottling up your anger. Black Water is a spirit of anger, and Seisui has almost literally bottled him up inside herself."

"But if she does that, her Senshi powers will weaken," Kouken observed.

"If you say so. I know spirits, not Senshi powers. I know that spirits often become angered when they are bound."

"But why does Seisui have anger to begin with?" Tokimo asked in distress. "I thought Erik worked things out. I thought we were on the same side again! I thought everything was going to be okay, and me and Seisui--"

"Tokimo," Kouken's muffled voice interrupted her. "I'm afraid Seisui's backing off may have more to do with necessity than desire."

"But doesn't she want to work together with me?" Tokimo asked hurtfully. "I mean, doesn't she want to be friends? Why hasn't she been talking to me?"

"She's just upset and confused," Kazeko said. "Give her time."

"But I want to know if she's upset and confused," Tokimo muttered. "If we're friends, I wish she would tell me she's upset and confused."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm sure things will be fine, Tokimo," Kouken comforted her. "She just needs time to get some direction."

"I hope so," Tokimo mumbled. "You're right, I mean, of course, but...I hope so. Anyway, I better get going. See you later, Kazeko."

Tokimo walked past Kazeko and headed for home. Maybe Seisui would call her to talk when she got home. Maybe she would even be waiting on her doorstep, ready to tell her what was wrong.

Maybe.

* * *

"Oceanus!" Eros shouted, flinging open the door of the turquoise colored room. It was furnished 'tastefully', Eros thought in disdain. Simplistic paintings on the wall and minimalist-style furniture; a style that most would describe as elegant and held back, but one that Eros felt was simple for a reason--it was for the simple-minded. No true art was simple, and as far as Eros was concerned, the talent he heard in Oceanus' early morning fiddle practice reflected that.

"What in the depths of the galaxy cauldron could you be desirous of?" Oceanus asked disdainfully. "I was about to put the finishing touches on the Shine I've been working on--"

"The Shine you're going to use in Crystal Tokyo?" Eros snapped vehemently, stepping deeper into Oceanus' room and glaring into his eyes, an algae green.

Oceanus smirked. "So, I see word has gotten 'round."

Eros scowled. "Damn right it has! I'd have come sooner, but unlike some idle fools, I have my mission to attend to. What exactly is the meaning of this?"

"Nemesis decided to send me after Seisui for a job. As much as watching you sweat amuses me so, however, I must admit that the job is only for this single instance. I am still in control of the German front and am being given no long-term jurisdiction of Japan."

"And your job?"

"The usual, really."

"You don't plan on--"

"Nothing of the sort, Eros," Oceanus interrupted, picking up the violin, gruesome and crudely fashioned out of human bones. "I won't be going quite that far. Nemesis merely instructed me to scare her."

"You mean to aggravate her kakon even more, then?"

"Yes. So be competent for a change and try not to mess up my plans, will you?"

"I assure you, my own plans are keeping me well occupied. And I think you shall find them surprisingly fruitful, thank you," Eros said haughtily, crossing his arms.

"Well, as much as your foppishness amuses me, do you mind? I'm trying to work."

Eros grinned as he turned to leave. "You're just jealous because I'm better looking."

* * *

Erik grimaced as he pounded on the anvil, working a red-hot rod into an ornate, twisting pattern of vines. There were few kinds of work as back-breaking, supremely uncomfortable or trying as blacksmithing. This suited Erik just fine.

"So," Ikkoku shouted between hammer falls, "how does one become interested in a hobby as unique as blacksmithing?"

Erik paused, dipping his work in a bucket of water. He sat down and responded between heavy breaths. "I started out sword-smithing with my grandfather," he explained, wiping his forehead. "The rest I just picked up out of boredom."

"It doesn't look very entertaining," Ikkoku remarked, noticing Erik's general lack of comfort.

"No, but it's rewarding," he explained. "And better yet, distracting. I can create something with smithing--and take my mind off things."

"You should have done jewelry smithing," Ikkoku admonished him. "Pick up more prospective wives that way."

Erik just rolled his eyes and began putting away his things. "You seem to have an awful lot of advice for me," he responded. He picked up his tongs and hung them on wall of the stone shed, along with the rest of his tools.

"Well, since we're on the topic," Ikkoku continued, "let me ask you this. A man's parents go on a year-long break from their duties as Chancellor and Councilor of Germany while their son is off playing 'around the world in a couple hundred years'. The parents' brother and sister fill in on their duties while they're gone, possibly, just possibly, getting a taste for the ruling business. Then when the parents go on a leisurely drive through the mountains upon their return, a horrible car 'accident' occurs and--"

Erik swung around toward Ikkoku, a small hammer in his hand and a furious look in his eyes. "How do you know about my parents?" He asked her accusingly, stepping toward her with his hammer raised. "How do you know about Caspar and Didrika?"

"They aren't, or weren't, exactly discreet figures!" Ikkoku responded, flying to a higher, safer branch. "Amy and Derek vonDarkmoor were the two leading figures in Germany politics for several consecutive terms! And if you know anything about recent German history, you know that Didrika and Caspar--your aunt and uncle--took their place when they died!"

"Maybe so, but no one in Japan knows or cares about Germany," Erik retorted. "Especially not a talking gyrfalcon! How long have you been following me, and why? Why do I hold any interest for--"

There was a pause, and for a moment, all that could be heard were the sounds of the forest nearby. Then, without warning, Erik dropped his hammer and held out his hands. A black, iron mask formed between them and Erik placed the mask on his face. A glowing, molten wave washed over him and formed the heavy armor of the Crimson Eagle.

"What's happened?" Ikkoku asked in alarm.

"I don't know," he responded. "But it has something to do with Sailor Titan."

Then, without another word, he disappeared into the rapidly falling dusk.

* * *

The haunting sound of a fiddle pierced the night.

The Crimson Eagle approached the yard of the Han'i residence with caution. As he walked toward the streetlight that spilled neon illumination into Seisui's yard, he could see the back of a turquoise-clad man, his hair short and seaweed colored. The music he played was definitely that of a fiddle, and yet this instrument, though it vaguely resembled a violin, was crudely fashioned out of bleached white bones. As they approached the sound, Ikkoku's circling figure fell to the ground. A hawkish scream escaped her lips.

The Crimson Eagle drew his sword.

The man turned around, staring at the Crimson Eagle in annoyance as his fiddle played on. "Do you mind?" he asked calmly. "I'm trying to play, and your bird is rather distracting, as is your weapon."

The Crimson Eagle scowled and looked around; he could see Seisui backed up against a tree--not even transformed--and a bizarre, freakish doll cornering her there. It wore highly formalized, princely attire; blonde hair was attached to its head, and and its face was delicately painted save for it's freakish, vacuous eyes. It was a mocking likeness of Andreas Han'i. The flickering neon light cast bright, unnatural light across it's face; the shadows the white light created were just as dark and eerie as the light was bright.

"Do you like it?" the man asked, continuing his tune. Oceanus, the Crimson Eagle remembered. "Quite a likeness, don't you think?"

"What have you done to her?" the Crimson Eagle shouted, rushing toward him. Oceanus stepped casually out of the way; the Crimson Eagle glanced hurriedly toward Seisui, preparing to make another dive at Oceanus.

She was breathing irregularly; sweat dripped down her face. A few yards away, her father was tied together with what the Crimson Eagle assumed was the rest of her family; they were bound with some sort of thin twine.

"You've disappointed me, Sei," The puppet hollowly informed her. "I told you to forget my foolishness. I told you not to pursue revenge."

"I only did what I thought would make you proud!" she sobbed, clinging to the bark of the cherry tree.

"Did you read my letter to you? Didn't I tell you not to repeat my mistakes?"

"I didn't think I would," Seisui continued, covering her eyes with one hand. "I had power. I was a Sailor Senshi! I was sure I could succeed where you had failed."

"And yet you failed. Failed, and brought even more shame on my family!" He hissed, pointing a wooden finger toward her accusingly.

The Crimson Eagle turned back toward Oceanus. "Doesn't she realize it's a doll?" He asked in alarm. "Why, her real father is only feet away!"

Oceanus grinned in self-satisfaction. "As long as the fiddle plays, she realizes only what I want her to."

The Crimson Eagle summoned an iron ring; with a sharp snapping of his wrist, he sent it flying toward the bone violin. Oceanus merely shrugged as the ring bounced off a force field surrounding the instrument.

"Now, really. Would I tell you something like that when I know you could just destroy the violin and thereby solve your problems? Show a little respect, Crimson Eagle."

The Crimson Eagle ignored his comment. Frankly, he had expected as much. Oceanus didn't seem that dull, and if he was arrogant, it was not a foolish complacency. The Crimson Eagle paused; the talk was probably as much to distract him from an effective target as it was to entertain Oceanus. The Crimson Eagle drew his sword and rushed toward the mannequin, who was occupied with Seisui.

The Crimson Eagle fell backward, clutching his face in surprise. Something was preventing him from getting closer; he held his hand in front of him and felt the resistance of a force field. He turned toward Oceanus in annoyance. "Of course, you knew that would happen!" he shouted.

"I didn't suggest that you go running after my puppet," Oceanus chided him. "That was entirely your own prerogative."

"Crimson Eagle," a small voice whispered. The Crimson Eagle looked around in confusion; then he spotted a small, weasely face poking gingerly out of the bushes. He stared blankly in confusion. "I think Seisui is generating the force field."

He raised his eyebrows. "Seisui?" he whispered back. "But Seisui isn't even transformed, and even if she were, she--"

"I know. But I think the hallucinatory process that Oceanus is putting her through is generating power somehow."

"What? But what makes you think that?"

"When Oceanus first began the hallucination, There was negligible negative energy. But since then, the amount has been multiplying at an alarming rate. I suspect that Seisui's participation in his illusion is somehow creating negative power, like some sort of psychological generator. I don't know that much about Nemesis, but the small amount of power that Oceanus was using to begin with probably wouldn't have been enough to generate a gigantic force field--at least if they're comparable at all to senshi powers. So I suspect that the only reason he was able to create the force field at all was by using the energy that Seisui is generating."

"Okay, fine. But how does that help me?" the Crimson Eagle snapped.

"Having problems? Because if you just plan on standing there, I'd rather you left, thank you," Oceanus interjected over the continuous sound of the fiddle.

"If you could snap her out of it somehow..." Kouken mumbled, half to himself. The Crimson Eagle rolled his eyes. Now what? He doubted that Oceanus would just let him sit there and sip tea until he thought of something good...

"Kouken," he said suddenly. First, he'd better get the help of the other Moon Senshi. Maybe if Oceanus' attention was split..."Go get Tokimo and the others. I'll see if I can get Seisui to snap out of it. As it is, I'm really the only target that Oceanus has to concentrate on, and he doesn't seem likely to let his guard down."

Kouken nodded. "I'll hurry back as soon as I can. What about Ikkoku? Maybe she could help you."

"She passed out, from what I could see. There's nothing I can do for her right now; my hands are full trying to help Seisui."

"Okay. Try not to hurt yourself while I'm gone," Kouken said. The Crimson Eagle frowned; the ferret didn't sound like he was joking.

"I'll try," The Crimson Eagle replied. He looked around once more at his surroundings. Strangely enough, Oceanus didn't seem to regard him; he continued playing as The puppet gesticulated wildly, an evil grin on it's face. "You disregarded my last requests! Disregarded everything I told you in my final moments! What loving daughter would do that? Why would you mock the only wishes that meant anything to me?"

Seisui became more terrified by the minute; by now, she was crouching against the tree, clawing against the bark. "But the dagger! You gave me that dagger! I thought, even though you were depressed and you said that, that--that--"

"It was a but a memento, and you used it to bring shame upon those you love--those who are still alive and have hope! You will be the death of your family, Seisui! You will drain their pride until they have nothing left!" Seisui could no longer respond; her speech was reduced to meaningless muttering as she clutched the cherry tree.

Looking at the puppet, the Crimson Eagle was almost certain he had no hope of waking Seisui up by calling to her. Whatever illusion magic Oceanus was using, it was powerful, and it's source--the fiddle--was too well protected to break. The only hope of helping Seisui the Crimson Eagle could foresee was to distract or anger Oceanus enough to break his concentration on the music.

"You'd better have a replacement for my bird," The Crimson Eagle called out in annoyance, "because gyrfalcons are pretty rare around here."

"Bah. You think the bird is annoying anyway," he replied, continuing to play flawlessly.

"So, how is it that you know so much about us, anyway? You know a lot about Seisui, based on what your puppet is saying, and you know a least a little about me and Ikkoku. And yet I'm transformed, and you've never even met me before in either my civilian or Knight form--and I presume the same is true of her as well.."

Oceanus rolled his eyes, continuing his tune. "Again, how stupid do you think I am? I'm not going to tell you that."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to ask. So are you working with Eros, or--"

"I am not working with that degenerate!" Oceanus snapped, his violin skipping a beat. The puppet momentarily crumpled a little, as though it's legs had given way; Seisui looked bewildered for a moment before the tune continued on and the conversation between her and the puppet continued.

"I'm surprised--"

"You ought not to be!" he interrupted. His hand slid down the violin at an awkward tilt, and the music faltered once more. The puppet's leg's sagged again, and Seisui's look was dazed; Oceanus evidently didn't like being associated with the rather more foppish priest of Venus. He swore something under his breath and turned around, as though to remove the Crimson Eagle's infuriating presence.

The Crimson Eagle charged toward him, his sword held out in front of him. Oceanus swirled around and held out his bow, parrying the blow of the Crimson Eagle's sword.

"Honorless scourge!" he spat. "First you insult me by comparing me to that pimp, then you attack me from behind? What sort of Knight are you, one of cowardice?"

The Crimson Eagle cursed to himself as they exchanged blows. Though his plan may have worked flawlessly, he couldn't help feeling like he forgot himself. Even with a turncoat, it was shamefully dishonorable to attack an enemy's back. He wasn't able to see what effect Oceanus' now-silent and fiddle had on the puppet, but he hoped that it lay as inert as any real doll would.

"Titan prism power, make up!" Seisui's voice shouted shakily. Good, the Crimson Eagle thought; he would have Sailor Titan's help while the other Senshi were on their way.

Several moments went past, and the battle bewteen Oceanus and the Crimson Eagle continued uneventfully. Oceanus, who was facing the tree Seisui had been pinned against, smiled grimly.

"What's so funny?" the Crimson Eagle asked. "Happy your mission failed?"

"Well, it could have gone better," Oceanus replied, parrying another blow with what must have been a supernaturally strong fiddle bow. "But it could have gone much worse."

"What do you mean?" the Crimson Eagle asked. "Why are you--"

"Shimmering crescent!" a girl's voice cried; a shower of bladed, crescent-shaped discs streamed toward Oceanus. Oceanus ducked beneath the oncoming onslaught of discs and the swinging blade of the Crimson Eagle; as the Crimson Eagle swung downward toward him again, another force field blocked his way. The senshi's attack, which seemed to have missile-like properties, futilely pressed into the shield for a few moments before dissipating.

"Bloody--" Oceanus spat, his body dissolving into turquoise mist.

"What happened?" the voice of Sailor Pinkmoon called from Seisui's rooftop. "Did we defeat him? Where's Seisui?"

The Crimson Eagle looked up; he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Your senshi uniform has changed," he remarked.

She smiled. "That's right! Now I'm Sailor Luna, the soldier of sanctity and light, representing the moon Luna!"

"Well, yeah," Sailor Charon remarked, stepping forward to stand beside her. "If your name is Sailor Luna, you're probably not the soldier of Mars, y'know?"

Sailor Luna just shrugged and continued on. "That makes me a Moon Senshi now!" she said with enthusiasm. "But where did Seisui go? Is she okay?"

The Crimson Eagle turned around and looked toward the cherry tree where Seisui had been. She was, as Sailor Luna had said, gone. "I had just assumed--well, she said her transformation phrase while I was keeping Oceanus occupied. I was surprised it was you that attacked Oceanus first, frankly, and not her. I'm assuming she's okay; Oceanus didn't have her when she left."

"She ran off," Ana shouted, walking toward them. The string that had held Seisui's family members was gone; either they had managed to break free, the Crimson Eagle mused, or it had dissipated when the fiddle stopped playing. "Right after she said that--what do you call it?--transformation phrase?"

"But why would she run away after transforming?" Sailor Charon asked uneasily. "You'd think she'd wanna kick butt after being attacked."

"That was the odd part. After she called out her transformation phrase," Ana continued, turning toward Sailor Charon with concern, "she didn't transform."

* * *

"Seisui."

The playground was tiny; the gravel was littered with stray papers that had escaped during the crowded day from their owners' careless hands. The late night's darkness was deepening the shadows, obscuring her small form as she huddled on top of the slide; rain clouds were moving in overhead, thickening the already viscous night. She did not respond as Erik walked toward her. It was because, he suspected, she felt no desire for him to add to her already deepening sense of shame; but he had no intention of doing so.

"Seisui..." he repeated. "Listen, what happened--well, it's not surprising that you couldn't transform under those circumstances. Certainly, I'm sure you weren't feeling very confident at the moment, and moreover, we don't know what side-effects Oceanus' hallucinations might have had. I'm sure that you'll be able to transform again next time."

"Why can't I just shut up?" she murmured--near inaudibly--to herself. Erik paused. Perhaps It wasn't her inability to transform that had kept Seisui here after all. As the words escaped her mouth, deep, racking gasps escaped her lungs and a whining moan interspersed it, as though she were trying--with little success--to hold back her rapidly pouring tears.

Momentarily dumbfounded, Erik said nothing, cursing his own lack of empathy.

"I-I-I had to get in-in-in-volved," she spat out near-incomprehensibly. "I-I-I h-h-had to k-k-kill the q-q-queen, e-eventhoughmy fafather, puh-puhleaded me n-not to in his writing," she covered her mouth, trying to surpress more gasps. "He puh-pleaded, but I w-wouldn't sh-sh-shut up. H-had to exsexsexpress my unwanted op-opinions."

"People always say and do things they regret, Seisui," Erik told her comfortingly. "If you think you're the only person who's been ashamed or regretful of something that they've said, I can assure you that you're mistaken."

"Most people h-haven't tried to kill someone!" she dropped her hand and shouted. Placing her hands back over her face, she shook her head. "Most people don't have a father that tried to kill someone. I'm not like other people at all," she murmured.

"Yes, well, other people don't transform into Sailor Senshi, nor were any of their parents purified or killed by a family's evil ancestors. There are extenuating circumstances."

"I just wanted to stop pretending," she continued, ignoring him. "I was never good at it to begin with. But I wasn't good at being myself either. I'm disgusted with myself that who I really am is just angry and unlikable."

_Who am I, to have done such a thing? I've been fooling myself! I've pretended to be honorable when my hands longed for blood and revenge!_

Erik shuddered. A vague memory resurfacing. "Everyone can be ugly, Seisui. Sometimes it's only other people that can see how we're beautiful."

"I'm not especially good looking, either," Seisui said bitterly. "Even my sister admitted I was plain."

"I was talking about your soul, not your appearance," Erik said with a sigh. "And your sister was just giving you a hard time about your appearance. You'd be pretty for a girl your age if you would smile more often."

"There's nothing that disgusts me more than a smile that's insincere," Seisui mumbled, wiping away her tears, "except maybe an insincere compliment."

"It wasn't insincere," Erik replied in annoyance. "Seisui, I know things are hard for you. But you need to try and get yourself together somehow. The priests don't look like they're about to pack up and leave, and everyone needs to be strong."

"I've been trying to! But how can I go home everyday and just shrug things off when I see my father and how much he meant to me? And then Tokimo seems more buddy-buddy with Usako now than she is with me, which is even worse. Even Kazeko predicted nothing but misfortune for me!"

"Tokimo probably thinks that _you_ don't like _her_--and I'm sure that's eating her apart. And you should be the one controlling your fortune. As for your father, well...I'm sorry for it."

"I don't really want to talk about it," Seisui mumbled.

"Too late for that now," Erik replied. Seisui looked at him disparagingly; there was an awkward pause. "Anyway, I'm sorry I wasn't able to save your from Oceanus."

"You did save me, remember?"

"I doubt things would have gone in my favor if Sailor Luna had not shown up. Oceanus would have gotten a chance to resume his fiddle playing eventually, and I would have been powerless."

"It's not like other people defeat youma all on their own," Seisui replied. "So I hardly see why it should make you feel inadequate."

"Both Phoebe and Miranda defeated youma on their own. In Miranda's case, multiple times. I simply don't have the strength that the senshi do."

Seisui scoffed. "Well, you have several times the bravery of most of them."

"Bravery is useless if you don't win," Erik replied. "So whether I am brave or not, I failed."

Seisui said nothing. They were silent for a moment before Erik continued. "Well, I hope you feel better, in any case. Tokimo certainly seems to think you're likable, and she's seen you at your ugliest. You should treasure a friend like that. As for the others, well, you and Yamiko have more in common than either of you would like to admit, and Fubuki probably admires you more than she admires most people, which is no mean feat."

Seisui mumbled something and rubbed her hand; Erik couldn't hear it. He doubted she would agree to repeat it. "And Kazeko seems more friendly with you than she is with most of the other Moon Senshi in Tokyo. Even if people with problems aren't always likable, people can relate to them. Everyone has felt persecuted. I'm sure the others understand, at least on some level." He turned around. "If you ever need my help, Seisui, my duties lie in protecting the Moon Senshi. I will be there."

"That's as good a farewell as any, I suppose," Seisui returned cynically.

Erik said nothing and walked off into the deepening night.

* * *

Tokimo shook her head, trying to banish her growing unease about Seisui and whether or not Erik would screw up in trying to make her feel better. She wasn't sure she trusted Erik to get the job done right; but like Kouken said, she remembered with annoyance, Seisui and her were going through some difficulties right now. She was already regretting Erik and Kouken talking her into staying behind. What was she thinking? Seisui was her friend, and she was--

"Usako," Kouken said, turning toward the pink-haired girl. She held Helios' hand and smiled broadly, apparently proud of her efforts. "Your Senshi outfit changed. What happened?"

"Well...the other day, at the fight in the ballroom, Sailor Io called me on her communicator. Only I didn't have a communicator that was compatible with the ones that the Moon Senshi use. So when she called me, a new communicator and locket suddenly appeared. I tried transforming using 'Luna prism power' instead of my usual transformation phrase, and I was able to turn into a Moon Senshi."

Tokimo and Kouken exchanged impressed glances. "So that means you're a little bit cooler now, instead of being lame?" Tokimo said.

Usako just chuckled, but Helios, Tokimo noticed, looked visibly grumpier. "But won't your parents be angry?" Kouken said, sitting down by Tokimo's feet.

"Well, probably," Usako said. "But they'll just have to deal with it. I suppose that a confrontation at this point is inevitable. They probably won't be happy that I didn't bring the Sailor Quartet with me, either. But it's not like I could have not become a Moon Senshi, really, considering that when Io communicated with me, my locket morphed on it's own.

"But if you're a Moon Senshi," Tokimo said in bewilderment, "And it's our job to kill you so that Diana isn't revived, then doesn't that mean that you have to kill yourself?"

There was an awkward pause.

"Tokimo, the only thing that makes you a Moon Senshi is being the Sailor Senshi of a moon in the Sol system. Technically, you don't have to do anything beyond that." Kouken said.

"Well, I guess you have a point," Tokimo replied. She glanced off in the direction that Seisui had gone; she had been wrong, she decided, to let that shifty, mask-wearing weirdo take care of her best friend. Or, at least, her former best friend. "Anyway, I'm going. We've left Seisui alone long enough. There's no way that a grumpy depressing stranger like Erik is gonna make her feel any better."

"I really think it's best if you wait until tomorrow, Tokimo. Things are a little shaky between you two right now, and it was Erik who was able to placate Seisui last time, remember? I think maybe his chances are better at this point. Besides, he's the only one able to locate her. If we leave now, without him as a guide, it's like shooting a needle in a haystack. She could be anywhere by now."

"But Seisui is my friend! She was my best friend. My only friend!" Tokimo turned her head to the side stubbornly. "We hardly even know anything about Erik! He could be a sleaze-ball for all we know, and we just left him with Seisui!"

"He's done nothing in the past to give us that impression," Kouken disagreed. "Indeed, he's been almost annoyingly honorable."

"Well, I think we'd be better off if I talked to her," Tokimo said stubbornly, "So I'm going to go look for her. After all, I'm the Senshi of time-space, so I should be able to use space to my advantage!"

"Tokimo," Helios told her, "You can just talk to her tomorrow. There's no need--"

"Nuh-uh," Tokimo interrupted him. "I've let other people deal with Seisui's problems long enough; they're just gonna mess things up for her in the long run. As far as I'm concerned, the only way to help Seisui is Tokimo-style!"

* * *

"Um...Usagi?" Minako murmured nervously, swinging open the sitting room door. Usagi was wearing comfortable slacks and a sweatshirt, instead of her princess gown; administrative duties had ended for the day and Usagi, physically and mentally tired after using what little talent she had in that area, had changed into something more comfy.

She looked up cheerfully and scooted over to the one side of the couch, offering Minako a space. "Hello! Would you like some tea and crackers?"

"Er...don't mind if I do, actually," Minako admitted, sitting down next to her and grabbing a large rice cracker as Usagi poured some tea. "But I didn't come here to chat casually. I heard a disturbing rumor when I was on the street today. I haven't gotten any footage yet, but I'm sure that if it's true we'll see people who recorded it on their cellphones within the next 24--"

"Um, Minako...you haven't told me what it was that you heard."

"Oh, right. Well...people are saying there's a new Moon Senshi floating around Tokyo. They say her outfit is pink and silver, and her hair is pink, too. And they say she's calling herself Sailor Luna."

"Luna like the cat?"

"Well, I guess. I wonder what that could mean? None of the Moons we looked up after the whole Moon Senshi thing took off were called Luna.

"Maybe one of the others would know," Usagi suggested.

"Ami," they pronounced almost simultaneously. Minako called her on the communicator; a timid "hello" echoed from Minako's watch.

"Hey, Ami," she said cheerfully. Do you know of a moon or planet or whatever called "Luna"?"

"Of course," Ami replied. "Luna was what the Romans called the Earth's moon. It was also the root of the English word for lunacy and the associated bird, the loon."

"Uhh...thanks, Ami." Minako looked up at Usagi. "But why would there be a Sailor Luna? There's already a senshi for the Earth's moon, Sailor Pinkmoon. Is there one left over from Rainbow Millenium who's back for revenge for something?"

"Has something happened?" Ami's voice resounded from the communicator.

"I heard there was a new Sailor Senshi floating around town," Minako explained. "Pink hair, pink and silver uniform."

There was a pause before Ami began again. "It's very unlikely that Sailor Luna is from the Rainbow Millenium. Historically, senshi lose their power once the next member in their line displaces them, such as happened to Queen Serenity and Neo Queen Serenity."

"They could have traveled from the past or the future," Usagi pointed out.

"I guess that's true," Ami mused. "But why would they do that? Unless they're some kind of fugitive...which seems unlikely, but I suppose it's a possibility."

"And she couldn't be Sailor Pinkmoon," Usagi observed.

An uncanny silence saturated the air for a moment, broken only by the munching of Usagi and Minako on hard rice crackers.

"It's dangerous to say that anything 'couldn't be' or 'wouldn't happen,'" Ami finally said. "If it were possible for Chibi-Usa to become more like a Moon Senshi--and that's my guess as to what 'Sailor Luna' is, whoever they personally might be--she might do so in the interest of trying to become friends with them. It seems unlikely, but then, so do our other options. And it couldn't hurt to confront her and make sure."

"Okay, but...nobody mention this to Mamo," Usagi told them. "If he finds out that Chibi-Usa has become a Moon Senshi, especially because she's trying to become their friends, no one will hear the end of it for weeks. And I hate to think how it will make Chibi-Usa feel."

"Agreed," Ami replied. "Letting Mamoru know will change nothing and would only increase Chibi-Usa's frustration with the lack of independence he gives her."

Minako nodded. "Let's talk to Chibi-Usa about this as soon as possible, even though it probably wasn't her. At the very least, she might know something."

* * *

Fubuki pulled out a stick of fuzz and dived absentmindedly through her pockets for a lighter. Swearing in frustration, she realized she had either left it at home or Michito had "accidentally" cleaned out her pockets without returning all the items. Thankfully, she had hid the sticks in her bag, not her pockets. She waved over at a darkly dressed teenager walking down the street, the sort of counter-culture poser that was probably just as likely to smoke now and again as she was.

"Hey," she shouted. "Gotta light?"

The boy, whose hair was a blinding light blonde, walked toward her. "Yeah, sure," he said, holding out a burning lighter. Fubuki leaned into the flame and set the fuzz ablaze; a shimmering, iridescent line of smoke trailed up from the stick, and she inhaled deeply.

"What are you smoking, anyway?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fuzz, spazz sticks, whatever you wanna call it," she responded. "I forget the drug name exactly. It's a happy drug."

"I see. Well, that aside, I must admit that you look rather familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

"Maybe on the news," Fubuki said with a wicked grin. "I was the one that killed the Youma at the church."

He nodded. "Perhaps that's it. If you're a Moon Senshi, might you know Yamiko?"

"Yeah, sure I know Yamiko," Fubuki replied, inhaling again as she leaned against a wall. "We attacked the castle together. But before you get all excited, I wouldn't exactly call us friends. Yamiko is a coward if I've ever seen one."

"Yamiko is no coward," he replied, tousling his blonde hair. "She may have saved my life."

"Oh really? What did she do? Yell out 'look out' when a car was about to run you over? I'm not sure she's capable of much more than that."

"Actually, she destroyed a youma and thus prevented them from killing me when I had an arrow in my back."

"You must be Kane, then," Fubuki observed, taking another drag of fuzz.

"Oh? You've heard of me?" he said, leaning against the wall nearby Fubuki.

"Yeah," Fubuki continued, looking unhappily at her rapidly dwindling spazz stick. "Yamiko mentioned you briefly at a meeting we had. After all this youma shit, we were meeting at lunch to figure out what the hell was going on. People were talking about what happened at the ball the other day, and they mentioned you.

"What was Yamiko's reaction toward me?" He asked with great interest, turning toward Fubuki.

"Fuck, I don't know. The fact that she mentioned you at all is a good sign, I suppose," Fubuki said, shrugging. "Yamiko doesn't like anybody. She didn't really say anything bad or good about you. I suppose the fact that she saved your life probably means something, but then, she helped Seisui kill the queen and they're hardly the best of friends right now. She's weird and anti-social and she changes her mind a lot, and I don't really pay attention. I'd hardly call myself her friend."

"She can be quite caring when she wants to be."

"Well, you like her, so you think so." Fubuki shrugged. "This stuff was weak. Or maybe I'm just getting used it to," she said, pulling out another stick of fuzz. "Give me another light, will you?"

* * *

"You want me to help you talk to Chibi-Usa?" Hotaru said. She had been writing something in the eerie glow of her lamp lit room; she was one of the few people Usagi knew that still wrote her journal by hand.

Minako nodded. "It's like we explained. We think she might be Sailor Luna--a Moon Senshi--and we could use your support. Chibi-Usa always liked you best."

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Usagi," Hotaru said, closing her journal and putting it in her desk. "Chibi-Usa really looks up to you. But I suppose if you think it would be best if I was there as well, it couldn't hurt."

Minako and Usagi looked each other and smiled.

* * *

"Come in," Usako called. In all honesty, she felt more relief than frustration at the interruption; she had been doing her English homework, still hardly her strongest subject, and Erik vonDarkmoor was hardly a slacker's teacher.

"It's us," her mother said, entering the room along with Minako and Hotaru. "We need to talk to you about something."

"Uh, Sure," Usako replied nervously. "What is it?"

"I think in this case, Usako, it's best if we just get to the point," Hotaru said. "Tell us the truth, Usako: Are you Sailor Luna?"

_EPISODE FOURTEEN: FIN_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Tokimo**: I've had enough of Sei's neglect! It's time to have a talk, and this time, I'll get to the bottom of things!

**Usako**: Once the royal court knows that I've become a Moon Senshi, my father will be furious. But faced with no other options and desperately wanting to take the final step to independence, I will shrug of his anger and my four loyal watchdogs.

**Haruko**: One voice calls us to her side, and another beckons us away...

**Yamiko:** Kane, at first so strongly suspected, seems more and more a person worth trusting. Maybe I misjudged him...

**Fubuki**: Come to counsel my mother if you wish, but all you will hear are a lunatic's cries...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"Folly's Clarity"_

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.

* * *


	15. Episode Fifteen: Folly's Clarity

"Come in," Usako called. In all honesty, she felt more relief than frustration at the interruption; she had been doing her English homework, still her weakest subject, and Erik vonDarkmoor was hardly a slacker's teacher.

"It's us," her mother said, entering the room along with Minako and Hotaru. "We need to talk to you about something."

"Uh, Sure," Usako replied nervously. "What is it?"

"I think in this case, Usako, it's best if we just get to the point," Hotaru said. "Tell us the truth, Usako: Are you Sailor Luna?"

* * *

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru  
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Fifteen:

"Folly's Clarity"

* * *

Usako sighed. "Well...it's complicated, but yes," she finally replied, putting down her pencil and sitting back in her chair. She might as well get comfortable for what was bound to be a tedious explanation.

Hotaru just nodded thoughtfully; Minako and Usagi both looked deeply shocked. "For how long, Usako?" Hotaru asked, sitting down on the bed nearby her.

"Just since yesterday," she added hastily. "Well, and the day before that--my brooch transformed after that fight at the gala. But I didn't transform into Sailor Luna until yesterday."

"Usako, why didn't you tell us?" Usagi asked, her face a little downcast.

"I wasn't sure how to tell you," Usako replied, shaking her head. "I wasn't sure what to tell you."

"I know people have not been very receptive to your view of this situation," Hotaru said, leaning against the writing desk where Usako had been working. "But the Moon Senshi want to kill your and your mother. If you ally yourself with them, what kind of message are you sending to your family? To the public?"

"You aren't seriously suggesting that I'm contemplating matricide and suicide?" Usako replied, annoyed.

"No, Usako--we would never think such a thing," Usagi interjected.

"More so, I think the public could construe it that way, Usako," Hotaru continued. "For that reason, I think your decision may have been unwise."

"Why did you decide to become one of the Moon Senshi, Usako?" Minako asked.

"I didn't decide," Usako responded. A hint of annoyance still pervaded her voice. "You just assumed I did."

Hotaru frowned. "I'm sorry, Usako. I suppose senshi transformations are usually not changed through an act of pure volition, are they?"

"No," Usako replied. "Not usually. This time was no exception. You've heard of the youma attacks which have been occurring?"

"Yeah," Minako replied. "Nothing's been done about it--at least not yet."

"Mamoru is going to call a meeting," Usagi said. "But he wanted to keep an eye on things for awhile." Usagi turned towards Usako. "To see how you guys were handling it. If--you know--we needed to intervene."

"In any case," Usako continued, "I'm sure that if you're heard of the youma attacks you've also heard of the attack at the gala. A boy about my age--well, physically, anyway--was injured there and a Moon Senshi called me for help. At that time, my communicator changed to this," Usako held up her wrist, showing the offending object; a pink and silver watch. "I still turned into Sailor Pinkmoon that night, but after I de-transformed, my locket morphed...into this." She pulled the silver and pink brooch out of her pocket and handed it to Hotaru, who inspected it and passed it on to Usagi. "So, despite whatever you think the change implies--even if just to the apparently undiscerning public--the fact of the matter is that I am now Sailor Luna...whether any of us like it or not."

There was a pause as everyone mulled the information over in their minds. Usako looked on, trying to banish her annoyance at her family's lack of trust.

"Should we tell the king?" Minako asked hesitantly, looking at the floor.

"He'll find out eventually, one way or another," Hotaru replied. "Maybe it's best to be up front about it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Won't he be angry?" Minako asked her, looking worried.

"No...Hotaru's got a point," Usagi said. "Mamo will find out eventually, and it's better to be honest. Besides, It's not like Usako made the decision. Anyway, she could be more powerful this way--so maybe it's a good thing."

"Certainly it's a sign, I think, that Usako has grown more independent," Hotaru said.

Usagi sniffled. "My little baby bunny is growing up...it seems like just yesterday she was cradled in my arms..."

"900 years ago?" Usako replied, raising an eyebrow.

"It always seems too short to a mother, I'm sure," Minako said, patting Usagi on the shoulder.

"In any case, Endymion should be calling a meeting soon, since the youma have started attacking Tokyo and it's time we made a decision on what the planetary Senshi should do--if anything. It's best, I think, if we break the news to the king at the meeting. And I hope, Usako, you'll also tell us what is happening in the city."

"It's quite a story," Usako replied with a sigh. "But I'll do my best."

* * *

Every time someone walked near Seisui's house, Tokimo squinted her eyes into the deepening night, trying to discern if they might be her friend. So far, Tokimo had lost count of the people who walked past the graveled path to Seisui's door. All the same, every time she heard the shuffling footfalls of someone walking down Seisui's street, she could feel her heart beating faster as her hopes of seeing her greatly-missed friend increased.

She shifted on the front step of Seisui's house. The rough concrete step was hardly comfortable sitting, and she could feel herself getting increasingly sore as the night wore on. Tokimo didn't know where Seisui went; she thought it wasn't far. Why was Seisui taking so long to get home?

Tokimo sat up as she heard footsteps on the gravel pathway. At last! Standing up, she brushed off her pants and walked to meet the stranger in the dark.

"Tokimo?" Seisui said hesitantly.

"Uh-huh!" Tokimo replied with enthusiasm. She hugged Seisui, who, surprised, did not return the embrace. "Seisui...why have you been ignoring me?"

"I haven't been ignoring you," Seisui replied quietly.

"Don't lie!" Tokimo retorted, her voice wavering. "You've talked to Kazeko, Erik...everyone about your problems, except for me. I almost wouldn't be surprised if you talked to Usako before you were willing to tell me about your problems!"

"You know that isn't true," Seisui said angrily. "Now you're just being stupid."

Tokimo pulled herself away from Seisui and looked her in the face. "A lot of people think I'm stupid, Seisui," she replied. "I'm used to that. I don't care what the hell other people think. But I don't want you to call me stupid. You're my best friend!"

"If I'm your best friend, why did you side with Usako?" Seisui asked, stepping backwards. Tokimo's hands fell limply to her side.

"Please, Seisui," Tokimo pleaded. She actually grasped her hands together and looked into Seisui's eyes. "Please don't make me choose between my best friend and the lives of innocent people!"

Seisui paused and sighed. "You're right, of course...I'm sorry, Tokimo."

"No, Seisui...it's not your fault. No one can blame you for how you feel." Tokimo paused. "I don't want to work with Usako, Sei--not more than I absolutely have to. I want to work with you. That's why I was so upset when I found out you were hiding your feelings from me."

Seisui was silent a long time. She looked at Tokimo; her face seemed a mix of conflicting emotions. "Right now there's a lot going on inside of my head, Tokimo. I have to change my head, and when I've done that, I have to change my heart to match it. But...changing myself is difficult. It's painful. Maybe there's too many feelings to change. I...I'm not sure I can do it. Maybe I'm too weak."

"You're not weak, Seisui. You're one of the strongest people I know. And do whatever you feel like you have to do, Sei--I'll help you through it. And I'll always give you the advice you need."

"I'm beginning to think I don't deserve it," Seisui replied. "But thank you."

* * *

Yamiko opened the curtains and watched as the dawn spread its rosy brush-strokes across the empty sky of the morning. She sighed deeply, suddenly unsure of how to begin what ought to have been another ordinary day.

She could hear footsteps behind her; she turned around and saw Sayoko, her shiny black hair reflecting the orange beams of the morning. "Well?" Yamiko asked, looking at her sister. "What do you want?"

"What's on your mind, Yami?" She asked, sitting on a couch nearby.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Yamiko replied, walking toward the kitchen and opening the refrigerator. She pulled out some eggs and bacon and began to cook her breakfast.

"You don't want to, but you will anyway," Sayoko said patiently. "Because I'm the one who's asking."

There was a long pause. Yamiko pretended to be intensely interested in frying bacon and eggs. "What do you think of Kane?"

Sayoko smiled and looked at her sister thoughtfully. "Kane wants to get to know you, Yamiko. I know in some ways that's off-putting to you. You've taught yourself to distrust kindness. but I think it's a good sign. You have to watch out when a guy spends all his time flattering you and plying you with gifts and attention. But Kane isn't like that. He asks about what kind of person you are. He wants to know what bothers you, and why. I think his concern and interest is genuine." Sayoko sat down at the breakfast table, looking eagerly toward the bacon. "Anyway, a guy doesn't take an arrow in the back just to get into your pants."

"He said it was just a reflexive action," Yamiko hurriedly replied. "You know...heat of the moment kind of thing."

"People don't put their ass on the line like that--even in the 'heat of the moment'--unless it's someone they love. Someone they care about enough to put their life in danger." Sayoko frowned. "Well, unless maybe they're a martyr or something crazy like that."

"How could Kane love me? He hasn't known me that long."

"Love isn't always as simple as that. It can be spontaneous. Sometimes you realize you love someone after knowing them only a short while--sometimes it can take years." Sayoko shrugged. "Besides, you saved him, too. You cared enough that even though you seemed defeated, you came back and hit stronger. Because you cared, and you wanted to preserve what you cared for."

"Maybe," Yamiko said distantly, putting a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Sayoko and grabbing her own. "Maybe I was just flattered that he showed an interest in me--something that hasn't happened since the Crimson Eagle convinced me to be his lackey."

Sayoko laughed, covering her bacon-filled mouth. She swallowed. "Trust me, Yamiko, if there's anyone who isn't likely to be taken in by flattery, it's you."

"I guess you're right," she said, looking listlessly at her egg yolks. "But I don't know. I just don't know...how I feel about him."

"That's fine," Sayoko said. "What, you think you're being given a time-table? You should get to know him a bit better." She grinned. "Now that we know he's not just some creepy stalker boy, you can spend some quality time together." Sayoko snapped her fingers. "I know! Why don't we bring him over for dinner every night? He lives all alone, right? I'm sure he could use the company." She grinned fiendishly. "He could even stay overnight! We have this this big, empty apartment--"

"No. No no no no." Yamiko said. She looked out the window as the sun peaked over the clouds. "Well, he can come over for dinner. But no staying overnight."

* * *

"The time is more than ripe to strike, Eros," Sailor Nemesis said impatiently. "It is rancid."

"Respecting Your Magnificence and your keen eye for tactics, affairs of the heart must not be rushed. Yamiko must be far more attached to Kane before destroying their relationship will be properly devastating." He looked toward the ground nervously. Nemesis had little patience for insubordination. He could only hope that she felt his observation was more valuable than his disobedience was infuriating.

There was a silence so gaping Eros could not have shot an arrow through it blindfolded. "Very well," she said at last. "This may be one subject on which you are more qualified to speak. You were once the Priest of love and beauty."

Eros frowned. Nemesis laughed. "Do I bring forth the painful memories of past betrayal--the breaking of your once-fragile heart?"

Eros said nothing, but scowled. His eyes, brilliant orange, glowed with a feeling both malicious and painful. "Good," Nemesis said, satisfied. "Such pain brings energy to the furnace, and power to our purpose. And," she pointed a long, wicked pole-arm of twisting, writhing blades toward him, "it will be the map that guides your own manipulation of this fool girl."

"I know, " Eros replied, standing and bowing as he prepared to take his leave. "My pain has been the precedent that has guided me all along."

"Excellent. You have convinced me of your competence." She nodded. "Dismissed, Child of Aphrodite."

* * *

"Kazeko," Kazeko's foster mother, Yoshi, opened her daughter's door as she peeked inside. Kazeko jumped in alarm, as though she had heard a loud noise or been caught doing something wrong. Yoshi thought this was a little strange, since as far as she could tell, Kazeko was just sitting at her desk looking at something. "Kazeko, your friend is coming over." Yoshi smiled and stepped into her daughter's room. She looked a little oddly at the strange odds and ends adorning Kazeko's room; crystals, woven wall-hangings covered in celtic knotwork, an abundance of potted plants and what looked like walking sticks and snapped tree branches. She wasn't entirely sure where Kazeko had gotten all of these things, since she hadn't come to Tokyo with them, and even now many of these kinds of goods weren't exactly in abundance in Japan. Perhaps through the VR con, or in a specialty shop?

"W-what?" Kazeko said in alarm. She casually put whatever she had been looking at away in her desk. Yoshi frowned. Perhaps she should take a look at it some afternoon when Kazeko was out?

"One of your friends called up and asked if she could come over. I knew that you didn't have anything planned, and I figured that you could use the company, so I told them to come on over." She frowned. "Is there someone you're trying to avoid--maybe a bully? I know sometimes girls will lie about things like this to--"

"No," Kazeko hastily replied. "Well, I-I mean...who is it?"

Her mother frowned. "She said her name was...Suikuro. Now isn't that strange name, especially for a girl?" she paused. "Maybe you don't know this, since you're foreign, Kazeko, but usually the ending 'ro' is for sons. It must be another character that reads 'ro' in her name. Do you know what it is, perchance?"

Kazeko paused for a long period of time. "Kuro means black, right?"

"Why, yes," her mother replied. "But that doesn't seem--"

Kazeko paused. "Black water," she murmured under her breath.

"What?"

"It's nothing," Kazeko said hastily. "I'm sorry, Yoshi. I was just...surprised. I-In the future..." she paused uncertainly. "I-it would be nice if you asked m-me first."

"Okay," Yoshi agreed. "Is it okay if this friend comes over?"

"Yes," Kazeko replied. "Suikuro is...a friend of mine."

"Good," Yoshi said, satisfied. "I'll get something for you two to munch on."

Yoshi left, smiling, closing the door behind her. Kazeko sighed a breath of relief and pulled her locket out of her desk once more. What should she do with the talisman?

_"Far away, the colors of a prism will melt and dissolve into whiteness...why won't the Great One come to us?"_

_The guards looked at her strangely. "The Great One? What does she speak of?"_

_"Don't bother," the other man-at-arms replied. "They say she speaks naught but madness."_

_"The north winds tell me," she whispered. "Far away, she watches us. She watches, but she will not come to aid us until the earth stands alone and she is shrouded in deep, sorrowed darkness..."_

The words did not even make sense to Kazeko, who typically had a grasp on the strange and esoteric. She had meditated often on the strange visions of the woman named Oreithyia. The woman she once was. She glanced over at a white birch box, ornately carved with blue-purple knots. Putting down her locket and opening the hinged lid, she pulled out one of her many talismans. It was a carved, wooden knot of intersecting circles, made of yew. A small, uneven stone was affixed to its center--chrysoprase, a bright, milky green mineral. These aids in meditation brought many memories of her past life back to her, but they were always murky, always strange. Was she mad, as the men in her vision had said?

If she remembered what she knew then, would she be mad again?

She put down the yew knot and picked up the locket. How could she expect to understand her past life when she didn't even accept what she was--what tied her to that life? She clutched her locket and closed her bedroom door. She turned back to her window for a moment, then, pausing briefly, locked the door as well. She drew the blinds closed tightly as she held her locket high.

"Ariel prism power, make up!" she whispered. As she spoke, her soft words dissolved into the squall of air that whipped around her, forming her senshi fuku of lavender and indigo. Ariel fell to her knees on the softly carpeted floor, and she could feel her hands shaking.

"I can't be worthy of such power," she murmured. She could feel her command of the forces of the cold northern air coursing through her. She remembered with clarity the ease with which she called and spoke to air spirits as a child. She knew this power was hers. "And if I must be...oh, Mother, why could I not save you? Why couldn't it have been mine at that time?" She bit her lip as she felt tears streaming down her face.

There was a knock at her door. "Who is it?" she asked, alarmed.

"It's me," Seisui said. "May I come in?"

"Uh, yes," Ariel said hastily. "Let me unlock the door." she moved swiftly to unlatch the lock and opened the door narrowly so Seisui could squeeze inside. "Come in," she said, her voice quavering.

"Kazeko," Seisui said, a little shocked. She closed the door behind her. "Or, should I say...What was it?"

"Ariel," she said softly. "Sailor Ariel."

"So you've accepted your power," she said.

Ariel looked off to the side. "It's not like I have a choice. The power has been bestowed. It is for me to accept it."

"Your power isn't bestowed," Seisui replied. "It's something you own. No one gives it to you."

Ariel sighed. "That is what makes it so difficult to accept." She closed her eyes and a breeze, soft but chill, blew past. Her sailor uniform dissolved.

"You should be proud of your abilities as a senshi," Seisui said. "They give you strength and power."

Kazeko looked pensive. For a moment, no one spoke. "Kazeko," Seisui continued. "I can no longer transform."

"I'm not surprised," Kazeko said, sitting down at the low table in the center of her room. She had spread a large batik tapestry over the top of it; it was covered with the figures of intertwined, knotwork dogs. Seisui joined her.

"You're not?" Seisui responded, raising her eyebrows. At that moment, Yoshi entered the room, bearing a platter with sweets and tea.

"Here's a little something for you two," she said, smiling and placing the platter on the table. With that, she left.

"What are these?" Kazeko asked, indicating the round, squishy looking sweets.

"Glutinous rice flour with sweet bean paste," Seisui explained. "They're called 'daifuku.' You were saying?"

"Uhh...right," she said, collecting her thoughts. "Seisui, the other day, I felt you repress your guardian element."

Seisui looked at her strangely. "What do you mean?"

"Black Water," she said. "Before, I could sense your presence strongly because of your guardian spirit, the Black Water. But you suppressed it. It was right before I told your fortune through the runes." Seisui looked at her a little blankly. "It's a matter of accepting and rejecting. Black Water is the power of your element. That element is what you tap into when you use your attacks...when you transform. If you reject the power of that element...you have nothing to tap."

"So what do I do now?"

"You have to chance your attitude toward your element," Kazeko replied. "You have to embrace it, instead of pushing it away."

"I can't do that," Seisui said sadly. "I tried to embrace Black Water...it might have given me power, but I lost everything, and gained nothing else."

"You speak to your element, do you not?" Kazeko asked.

Seisui nodded. "Or, at least, I did," she added. "I have not spoken to Black Water since my power vanished."

"Then perhaps you should explain your feelings to him," Kazeko said.

"How?" Seisui replied. "He won't even speak to me."

"I can speak to the elements," she explained a little hesitantly, "If I begin a ritual. Between the two of us, we may be able to summon your guardian element here and speak to it. But we must be patient, and careful," she added. "to summon an element against their will is a difficult and draining thing to do." she paused thoughtfully. "Usually the spirit is appeased with a gift. Do you have something, Seisui, that your guardian spirit would want or accept?"

Seisui frowned. After what seemed like an eternity, she said at last, "Yes. Yes, I do have something."

"Is it with you?"

She sighed. "It is. I always carry it with me, except when I'm at school." Seisui opened a purse she had brought with her; it was blue, with burgundy roses. She pulled out a small dagger. It had an ivory handle crafted in the form of a viper; the viper held an orb of garnet in its teeth.

"Where did you _get_ this?" Kazeko asked, shocked.

Seisui looked as though she were unsure what to say. She frowned. "It was my father's," she said at last.

"I see," Kazeko said, quietly. "Are you sure you want to give this up?"

"What good is it to me now?" Seisui said. Her voice was tired and weak. "Besides, Black Water is a part of me. In a way, what belongs to it is mine as well."

"Very well," she said. Seisui handed her the dagger, and Kazeko gently took it. "You can sit there for now...it will take some time for me to set up the ritual." Kazeko got up and walked over to her door. She re-locked it before walking over to a closet. It was a large walk-in closet, and since Kazeko was not the type to hoard clothing or accessories, it was empty except for some magical accoutrements she stored on the shelves, out of the sight of her stepmother. In the center of the closet was a rug with a celtic circle emblazoned on it; in the middle of this circle she placed a chiastolite stone, a dark brown rock with a black cross through the center. Above each point of the cross she placed a small talisman; the the one nearest to her was carved of alder. The two on the points that were to the side of her were of ash and hawthorn. The one that would be nearest to Seisui was of elm. Between the elm talisman and the chiastolite stone, Kazeko placed the dagger that Seisui had given her.

Kazeko grabbed her oak staff, which rested against the wall of her closet. "All right," she said. "it's ready."

Seisui put down the daifuku she had been eating and walked into Kazeko's closet, being careful not to disturb any of her meticulously set up items. "I need you to sit across from me," Kazeko said, indicating the opposite end of the carpet, "over there." Seisui nodded and gingerly made her way to the other side of the carpet, just inside the woven circle. She sat down as Kazeko took her place across from her and held out her oak staff horizontally toward Seisui. "Take the other end of the staff," she said.

"Okay," Seisui said, obeying her instructions. "Now what?"

"Focus on Black Water," Kazeko replied. "And do not allow yourself to become distracted." Seisui nodded and closed her eyes. Her face became relaxed and placid.

Kazeko took a deep breath and stared out beyond the here and now, to something not visible yet hazily seen. Speaking in Irish, she began a chant of summoning, asking the spirit that dwelt within Seisui to come forth in exchange for the gift which she hoped would placate it.

Time passed painfully as Kazeko continued her endless chant. Eventually, out of the center of the elm talisman seeped the dark, viscous liquid. It swirled around the ivory dagger and drew the weapon back into itself, making the item disappear into the inky blackness.

"What would you ask of me?" a hoarse, dark voice inquired.

Kazeko spoke in Japanese. "To return that which was lost," she replied. "To mend the bond that is broken."

"Why should I repair that which I did not break?" the voice sounded almost sorrowful. "It was not I who abandoned her."

Kazeko looked pensive.

"I didn't want to," Seisui said suddenly. "I wanted to cling to my cause, my anger...but I can't anymore. I have to give those things up, or else I will have nothing." she looked downward. "I'll just have to hope that Tokimo makes good on her plan to kill Pinkmoon after the fight is over. Until then...all I can do is wait, remember my father's legacy, and end the fight with Nemesis as soon as possible--so that some day, I can return to avenging my father's purification....and our death."

The swirling darkness was silent. It seemed to consider what Seisui had said, then swirled away into nothingness.

"Did it work?" Seisui asked, looking up at Kazeko. Kazeko squinted.

"I'm not sure," she said at length.

* * *

"Your bow is a little crooked," Haruko said, straightening the large pink bow on the back of Lady Serenity's full, ruffly skirt. Haruko was dressed in her own Princess gown, a light pink dress with a sweetheart neckline and a long, mermaid skirt. Yellow flowers accentuated her outfit; despite the girlish colors, the cut gave Haruko a lady-like appearance.

"Thank you," Lady Serenity said, a little detached.

"What's bugging you, Lady Serenity?" Fuyuko asked. Her own dress was a simple empire gown in a cold, ice blue. She wore a light blue cameo with the image of a helmet-clad woman. "Is it the Moon Senshi again?"

"No," Lady Serenity replied. "I fear that my father will make the youma a problem for the Planetary Senshi."

"What's wrong with that?" Haruko asked. "It's their job, just like ours, to protect the Earth."

Lady Serenity shook her head. "No. That job has passed to me. To us. Unless the power of the Sailor Guardians and the Outer Senshi is necessary, we are the ones whose duty it is to protect the earth."

"It's the duty of all of the Senshi to protect the earth," Diana disagreed. "Theirs as much as ours, Lady Serenity. I think, perhaps, you are taking on more responsibility than is necessary."

"It made sense for the Planetary Senshi to protect the Earth when that was their only responsibility--when running the world was in the hands of other men and women. But now they have their hands full with the affairs of state. It's only logical that we step into their old position and defend the planet from outside forces while they grapple with conflicts that come from within. And anyway," she added, "Whether or not the amount of responsibility I'm taking on is necessary or not, I want to do it. I don't want to be shuttered away and protected anymore. I want to be a proud senshi, leading my own team. You know that, Diana." Diana looked concerned, but she said nothing.

Haruko seemed be milling what Lady Serenity had said. After a long, awkward silence, she spoke at last. "Our primary duty is to protect you as guards, not defeat the minions of Chaos. But when Sailor Moon was called upon to protect the Solar System from Metallia and the Black Moon family, the Four Guardian Senshi aided her in her task--they did not look outside for help. " Haruko sighed. "Therefore...I will abide by your decision, Lady Serenity." She looked admonishingly at her leader. "But only if you promise that you will seek the aid of the Planetary Senshi if this enemy should prove too much for us."

Lady Serenity nodded. "Of course." she still looked nervous and hesitant. "There's something else I should tell you before the meeting. Something I'm going to bring up there." She looked toward her window. The sun shone gaily outside, and puffy clouds were traveling across the azure sky.

"Well?" Natsuko said impatiently. Her satiny bronze gown glinted in the bright light; her hair and jewelry were heavily decorated with peacock feathers. "Out with it."

"I am no longer Sailor Pinkmoon," she said. "I now transform into Sailor Luna--the name of the Moon during the Rainbow Millennium, when the Moon Senshi were at the zenith of their power."

The Quartet's faces were shocked. "What can you mean by taking that name?" Akiko asked. "You must realize that in the eyes of the Sailor Senshi, it seems like you're siding with the Moon Senshi. And to the Moon Senshi--why, it was Sailor Luna, or as they usually call her, Queen Diana--who was responsible for their deaths! It'll make both sides of this conflict angry!"

"Let's not be hasty," Diana interjected. "We don't yet know the circumstances that led to this."

"How did it happen?" Haruko asked calmly, her brow furrowed thoughtfully.

"A Moon Senshi used her communicator to call me, and it summoned a new brooch," Lady Serenity explained.

"See?" Diana said, looking toward Akiko with a perturbed expression. "It was completely out of Lady Serenity's control."

"And how do you feel about this new transformation?" Haruko continued, leaning against Lady Serenity's vanity and looking at her frankly. "Do you welcome it?"

Lady Serenity paused, then nodded. "I think this transformation is a sign of my independence. When I gained my Star Senshi form, it was because I was focused on being united with everyone--with the Planetary Senshi. But now..." She looked her face deadly serious. "We both know, Haruko, that is not the case any more. It's not even a matter of this whole Moon Senshi conflict. We just have to accept that I'm an adult now, with a Senshi team of my own...with a whole new group of Sailor Senshi it looks like I will have to work with. In that context...Sailor Star Pinkmoon doesn't make sense anymore. It's time for me to build a legacy of my own, just like mama did."

"You're still a member of the Planetary Senshi, too, Lady Serenity," Natsuko replied. "You can't turn away from that. It's the duty of the Planetary Senshi to protect and work with Sailor Moon. That's the legacy you should be making!"

"No," Haruko said. "I think, after all, maybe she is right."

"What?" Akiko sputtered, looking toward Haruko. The flame-colored panels on her dress glinted in the sunlight. "But Sailor Luna...with a name like that, she won't belong anywhere!"

"She won't be Sailor Star Pinkmoon, so she won't belong with the Planetary Senshi," Haruko agreed. "And she'll still represent the family of the White Moon, so she won't represent the Moon Senshi either. But...perhaps that is as it should be. I've been thinking about this for awhile now...and I've come to a decision. We are Lady Serenity's guardians, but we're not her babysitters. She is our leader, and the new Senshi of the Moon. She is not Sailor Moon, because that was mantle of Neo Queen Serenity. So perhaps it's better that she has a new title, and a new different legacy."

"Besides," Diana piped in, slightly put out, "I think it's a bit much, Akiko, to say that Lady Serenity will not belong anywhere. Naturally, she will always belong with us--and with Sir Helios--no matter what happens."

"But Sailor Pinkmoon was supposed to be her new legacy," Natsuko objected. "Her different legacy."

"Is your crystal still pink?" Haruko asked.

"Yes," Lady Serenity replied. "But then, I have not used it since my locket changed, and I doubt that it could change form without my needing to use it in the process."

"Well," Haruko continued, "For the time being, it still _is_ her legacy. And even if the crystal changes to become the color it once was for Luna--which, I assume, would be silver once again--it might not be such a bad thing. Even though Sailor Pinkmoon is Lady Serenity's own legacy, it is also a legacy that tied her to the planetary senshi. Perhaps it is for the best that she breaks away from that power, too, now that the Planetary Senshi must turn their thoughts to the Crystal Palace and the queen."

"Anyway," Fuyuko cheerful piped in, "If Lady Serenity is both a member of the White Moon _and_ a Moon Senshi, maybe she can be the one to bring them together!"

Natsuko scoffed. "I doubt that."

"If it's possible, Lady Serenity will be the one to do it," Fuyuko said. "I'm sure of it."

Lady Serenity sighed. "I hope you're right, Fuyuko. I just hope I can count on you five to stand behind me on this."

"Of course!" Diana emphatically replied.

Haruko paused thoughtfully. "We haven't always seen eye-to-eye since....since the beginning of all this," she replied. "But If you are at the stage where even your powers have morphed...we have to recognize the winds of change. As long as you are loyal to the royal family, we will stand by your side. As long as it does not stand in the way of protecting you, we will abide by your decisions."

* * *

"As everyone knows, we have recently been receiving reports about youma appearing again in the city. This is something that has not happened since the fall of the dreaded Black Moon." Luna looked toward the assembled Sailor Senshi, her expression grave. "Moreover, this new threat has come, once again, from Nemesis. Right now, our lack of familiarity with the enemy makes a head-on attack on Nemesis unwise. We need to find out more about these youma--who they are working for, where they get their power from."

"Lady Serenity," Hotaru said, turning toward her. "I believe you know more than anyone about this new enemy."

"Yes, I have been at all but one of the encounters with this new enemy," she replied. "And, with the help of the Moon Senshi, I have ascertained certain facts about their nature and identities."

Luna seemed impressed. "You were able to get the Moon Senshi to cooperate?"

"Indeed," Lady Serenity said. She carried herself with pride; even though her dress was girlish and cute, she looked mature and lady-like. "I have convinced them to work alongside me, at least until the threat of Nemesis is subdued. And I have hopes that by the time this conflict has ended, I will have managed to convince them to find a way past their enmity."

"Well," Endymion looked as though he was not sure how to take this news. "I see. What have you found out?"

"The enemy is not the Black Moon family," Lady Serenity said. "At least, I doubt it. We know very little about who's running the show, and if they took their power from Chaos...but we do know this: the priests, not seen since the Rainbow Millennium, work for them."

"The Rainbow Millennium?" Minako asked, toying with her amber-colored pendant.

"That was the era of the Moon Senshi," Haruka informed her.

"Who are these priests?" Artemis asked. "There's nothing about them in any records I've read, and I don't recall hearing about them during our time on the Moon."

"The Crimson Eagle explained it to me," Hotaru replied. "They're part of the three powers. There is a trinity of power that protects the Earth: Endymion and the Earth. Helios and Elysion. And Lady Serenity and the Moon. These three powers are co-dependent; if one falls, so do they all. So it once was for all of the planets."

"Then why are we still okay?" Ami asked. "If the death of one of the powers causes a sickness like Sailor Moon and Tuxedo mask once suffered, why did we not fall ill as they did?"

"One can circumvent the curse by relying on the power of the silver crystal," Hotaru put her hand on her chin thoughtfully. "Or I should say, any crystal. In this case, the pink crystal or golden crystal...or, if it had been some other trinity of powers, it could have been their crystal we all relied on."

Michiru folded her hands. Her eyes were thoughtful. "It all seems hard to believe," she solemnly. "That there are even senshi of the moons at all was surprising enough...but if what you say is true, Hotaru, it means that the Solar System is a locus of _incredible_ power. There are well over 100 moons, and if each moon and the planet they belong to has it's own crystal anywhere near the power of the Silver Crystal...well, frankly, it forces me to be a little skeptical. Just _one_ crystal has the power to destroy planets. Are you sure that the Crimson Eagle did not have cause to deceive you? He is, after all, one of the Moon Senshi."

"Knights are bound to protect and serve all Sailor Senshi," Hotaru replied. "Indeed, when I fought once with Sailor Phoebe, the Crimson Eagle tried to convince her to stop. I do not think he would he would lie."

"Hotaru is right," Lady Serenity agreed. "The Crimson Eagle has often protected me from the Moon Senshi in the past, and I know him well. He is a man of honor."

"And you say the priests now work for Nemesis?" Ami asked, looking at Lady Serenity. She nodded.

"Almost certainly. Sailor Phoebe saved an innocent bystander from Eros, the priest of Venus. And Seisui says she saw the rest of them briefly before her escape from Nemesis. It may have even been one of them that returned her locket to her."

"If the priests were once good, and they were the protectors of the planet...perhaps it is our duty to save them," Rei said. "If they're working for Nemesis, they've almost certainly been corrupted by Chaos."

"Indeed," Ami replied, "if they have been corrupted, we can be fairly certain that Purification would cure the negative effects of the corruption instead of destroying the personality of whoever we're helping."

"Unless, of course, they're working for Nemesis of their own free will," Haruka observed, crossing her arms as a dark expression crossed her face.

"Well," Minako laughed, "No one would do that, right?"

"I certainly hope not..." Diana replied.

"I used to think so," Makoto said with a sigh, leaning on her hand. "But look what Seisui and the rest of the Moon Senshi did, without any kind of corruption at all. I don't think anything would surprise me anymore."

"Besides, to be frank..." Haruka looked at Queen Serenity sadly. "I'm not sure it would be a good thing if we _did_ purify the Priests. If we did, and if Lady Serenity is able to get the Moon Senshi to become our allies...think of the power that they would possess. And any of them are anything like Seisui...honestly, I think that power would be in the wrong hands."

"But that's why the three powers exist as they do, is it not?" Ami replied. "So that if a Moon Senshi becomes dangerous or unstable, the others will refuse to work with them and then everyone will lose their power." Ami paused, thoughtful. "It seems like it would give another trinity the chance to step in and make things right."

"Whatever _that_ means," Minako replied. "It sounds like Queen Diana used that caveat to her advantage."

"It doesn't really seem like it matters now," Natsuko said. "We're not at a stage where getting the crystals seems at all realistic. Shouldn't we focus on beating up the bad guys, first?"

"It's not that simple," Rei snapped. "This will inform our whole tactical plan! If we fight the Priests, it will have entirely different implications than if we try to heal them."

"So which should we do?" Minako asked.

"We will heal them," Queen Serenity said. Her face looked dignified, decisive. "That is our duty."

"But what if Haruka speaks truly? What if they side with evil of their own free will?" Michiru asked, looking toward her Queen with concern.

"Then we'll have to convince them they chose the wrong side," Makoto said, grinning. "Nothing we can't handle."

"You mean nothing _I_ can't handle," Lady Serenity said, turning toward Makoto with a polite smile.

There was a tense silence. "Lady Serenity..." Endymion looked toward her with love and concern. "This is a dangerous mission against an unknown enemy...most likely another incarnation of Chaos. We simply cannot risk your safety by allowing you to take on something so dangerous alone."

"I won't be alone," she replied. "I have the Sailor Quartet...and even if the Moon Senshi have fought with me in the past, we're working together against a common enemy."

"You can't be sure the Moon Senshi will remain your allies," Endymion replied. "You can't even be sure they're not _working_ for Nemesis."

"Your majesty," Akiko replied, "I'm as distrustful of these new senshi as the next person. But based on what Lady Serenity has told us of the Moon Senshi's experiences with the new enemy, they've been attacking the new senshi more than anyone! That hardly seems likely."

"And do you now support Lady Serenity's wish to fight this enemy alone?" Endymion asked.

"We have decided that as her guardians, our duty is beside her," Haruko replied. "We understand your concerns, your majesty, but we think that Lady Serenity has more than proved herself. You knew the dangers she faced when you sent her back in time, but you were willing to do it because you knew that she would return safely in the end. Are you willing to trust her skill and courage in the face of an uncertain future?" Endymion was silent.

"Moreover," Haruko continued, "I genuinely believe that Lady Serenity is not in any immediate danger. Frankly, these Youma are far less powerful than the Moon Senshi she faced time and time again. My advice to the assembled Sailor Senshi is this; let Lady Serenity deal with this problem for now. She has inherited the mantle of Sailor Moon, and it falls to all of you now to deal with matters of state. If things get out of control and Nemesis looks to be more than Lady Serenity can handle, then is the time to intervene."

Endymion sighed, mulling over Haruko's suggestion. "I just don't feel comfortable with it," he said at last.

"If I may," Hotaru interrupted, "perhaps I could reprise my role as an instructor at Goban High. That way, Lady Serenity would have someone to keep an eye on her, but there would be minimal interference on the part of the other senshi. If things are too much for the Princess, I vow to let your majesty know as soon as possible. Besides," she said with a smile, "I miss Usako. I have been too long cooped up in this palace."

Haruko looked toward Lady Serenity. "What do you think, Lady Serenity? I think Hotaru's suggestion is a good one."

Lady Serenity looked toward Helios, who nodded in approval. "I agree," Lady Serenity replied. "Daddy, will you entrust my protection to the Sailor Quartet and Sailor Saturn, without the interference of the other senshi?"

Endymion paused, cradling his chin on top of his woven fingers. He sighed and glanced at his wife, who nodded at him, a smile on her face. "Very well. Sailor Saturn is among the most powerful and capable of the senshi, and Hotaru, your friendship with Lady Serenity is proof to me that you will keep her best interests at heart."

"Thank you, your majesty," Hotaru replied. She looked at Lady Serenity knowingly.

"Shall we adjourn, then?" Endymion said, laying his hands on the table before him.

"Actually Daddy...there's something I need to tell you...to tell everyone." Endymion looked up at Lady Serenity, his expression calm. "I know there's been talk of a Sailor Luna recently. The truth is...it's me." they all stared at her, their faces alarmed. "But don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm siding with the Moon Senshi or anything. I was called by the Moon Senshi to heal an innocent bystander the other day, and when I was, something...changed. Something that changed my locket and communicator. Now I transform into a senshi a lot more like Mom when she first transformed into Sailor Moon. I know it's shocking," she added, "but please don't misunderstand. I didn't cause the change to happen. And my loyalties haven't changed either."

Endymion was silent for a long time. "I think this change may be a good thing," Queen Serenity said, turning to him. "When Lady Serenity received her transformation as Sailor Star Pinkmoon, it united her with the planets. But Lady Serenity has to lead a team now, and stand on her own two feet. This transformation will give her the power to fight on her own." Queen Serenity smiled kindly at her daughter, who returned it with a grin. Endymion sighed. His face looked stressed and thoughtful.

Serenity took his hand and looked at him with a smile. Endymion gazed at her intently, but there was kindness in his eyes. "If that's how it is...that's how it must be," he said. "I may sometimes question your decisions as my daughter, but I would never question your intentions...or your loyalty. I will welcome the Earth's new protector, Sailor Luna." Lady Serenity smiled, a broad grin stretched across her face. Endymion smiled back at her, his love for his daughter in his eyes.

* * *

"Hi, uh...Kane?" Yamiko said into the receiver of the phone, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hello," he replied. "Is this Yamiko?"

"Yes," Yamiko said. "How are you?"

"Good," Kane said. "Better, now that I've heard a friendly voice."

Yamiko smiled a little. "Well, don't get ahead of yourself," she said jokingly. "You don't know that I have anything friendly to say."

"Well," Kane replied, "I'll simply have to wish that is the case. Is it?"

"Uh," she said. "Actually..." she cleared her throat nervously and silence hung on the other end. "I was wondering if you wanted to eat dinner at my house tonight. With Sayoko," she added hastily. She paused, realizing that it sounded like she wanted him to eat dinner with Sayoko alone. "I mean--I'll be there too of course. But Sayoko will also be there."

"That would be great," Kane replied. "It gets a little lonely eating by myself all the time. Maybe we could all watch a movie together again."

"Sure," Yamiko replied. "But this time, I get to choose."

"But of course," Kane said with mocking suaveness.

* * *

"Fubuki," Michito said, knocking on her door. "There is a visitor here to see you." Fubuki snapped off the power button on her stereo system, sighing in annoyance.

"Who is it?" Fubuki asked impatiently.

"Well..." Michito said a little hesitantly, "it's the priest."

Fubuki sighed. "Why the _hell_ would I want to talk to the priest?"

"He said he would make it worth your while," Michito replied. "He insisted that I speak to you."

Fubuki looked up at her ceiling. "Fine," she said, getting off of her bed. "I don't know why the hell he thinks I'll want his money, though."

Michito held her door open and Fubuki barreled down the stairs, her trench coat brushing against the wood behind her. When her nanny reached the bottom of the stairs, she opened the door into the parlor and Fubuki stepped into the small room. Inside, the priest was sipping a cup of green tea.

"Miranda," he said, bowing his head in deference.

"Oh, please," Fubuki said, rolling her eyes and sitting down across from him. "My name is Fubuki, for Serenity's sake."

"Very well," he replied, a polite smile on his face. "Fubuki it is."

"What do you want, Daisuke?" Fubuki asked.

"Sir Gakusha," Michito said, reminding Fubuki to use the proper form of address for a religious official. Fubuki just shrugged.

"It's quite all right, Michito," He said. "I think she is in a position to refer to me by my first name. Fubuki," he continued, "I have spoken to the head priest. I am asking him to revoke the status of the Moon Senshi as demons and make them into gods that are worshiped alongside the canonical Planetary Senshi."

"Are you asking me to care?" Fubuki asked.

"No," Daisuke replied. "Well...not exactly. I thought perhaps you would be interested to know that you may be worshiped rightfully alongside the Sailor Senshi."

"What makes you think I want to--fuck that, should--be worshiped?"

"You saved the people of the Church of Serenity," Daisuke replied.

Fubuki shrugged. "It was only because the youma attacked me," Fubuki replied. "Don't be too grateful."

"Even so," he replied. "Besides, it is not for me to question your actions, Fubuki. You have been given the power of divinity, and that comes with it a certain amount of impunity from the judgment of ordinary men."

"So, is this the only reason you came?" Fubuki asked, picking a strawberry cake off of the plate of food set beside the green tea mugs and shoving it in her mouth.

"No," he replied. "I was wondering if I could speak to your mother."

Fubuki abruptly stopped chewing and started intensely at him. After a moment, she swallowed the cake in an indelicate gulp and wiped whipped cream off of her lips with a finger, then licked it off. Michito put an embarrassed hand over her face. "Why?" Fubuki asked darkly.

"She has not been to church recently," he replied. "Not all week. Usually she comes in almost every day. I assume she has not taken the news of your transformation well."

Fubuki scoffed. "She hasn't left her damn room since I killed the youma."

"I may be able to help her," he continued.

"Why would I want you to do that? She's nothing but a pain in my ass."

"If I talk to her, I may be able to convince her to give you new-found freedom because of your importance to the church as Sailor Miranda," he continued. "Especially if you are canonized as a divinity in the church."

"And if you only talk her out of her senses enough to hate me?" Fubuki said with a nasty grin.

"Then I can offer you a place to stay," Daisuke said. "At least, if I succeed making you and your friends divinities instead of demons. Something which I feel relatively assured of doing, given my position in the church and the recent actions of the Moon Senshi in saving people from Nemesis. As a Sailor Senshi, you will be under the protection of the church and an object of its devotion. I will be able to provide for you. Indeed, I am sure that the people would admire you as a protector of the church."

"Yippee," Fubuki said dryly. "Just what I've always wanted."

"Indeed, it is what you've always wanted," Daisuke replied, ignoring her sarcasm. "Fubuki, if you are under the protection of the church, it will give you freedom from your mother, something which I know you have been keen on having. Even if your mother comes out of this period of difficulty just the same as she has always been, or even worse, there is a place for you to stay away from her influence. You will be able to have the freedom you desire without having to see your mother suffer--something which, despite your protestations to the contrary, I do not believe you enjoy. Will you allow me to talk to her?"

Fubuki got up and poured a glass of whisky from a decanter in the parlor. She took a sip and swallowed deeply. "How is she, Michito?"

"She mutters to herself in the night sometimes," Michito replied. "And she eats the food that I bring her. Other than that, I don't know."

Fubuki finished off the whisky and sighed. Crazy bitch. Not like anything Daisuke did would make a difference anyhow. "Ask me again tomorrow," she said at last.

"Very well," Daisuke replied. "Thank you for speaking to me, Fubuki."

Fubuki rolled her eyes. "Just get out," she said. Daisuke nodded and picked up his coat. Michito escorted him through the door.

* * *

Fubuki picked up the phone and stared into it, speechless.

"Have another fight with Jirou?" Michito asked, looking up from whatever she was making in the kitchen.

"None of your business," Fubuki snapped.

"Okay then," Michito said, smiling surreptitiously.

Fubuki took a deep breath and dialed Jirou's number.

"Hello?" he said, picking up the receiver.

"Hey," Fubuki replied casually. "It's me."

"Hey," he replied a little awkwardly. Fubuki could tell that things were falling into their same old pattern; they would pretend like nothing had happened, or if they did acknowledge it, they would pretend like it was no big deal until it really wasn't. "How are things with your mom?"

"She's still in her room."

"Does that make you happy, or sad?" he asked.

"Fuck," Fubuki said, sighing, "damned if I know." she paused. "Daisuke wants to make the Moon Senshi divinities in the church."

"So?"

"So....he wants to talk to my mother about it. Try to get her to see my powers in a different light--make me seem like some wonderful god or some bullshit like that. He thinks it will make her snap out of it."

"You wouldn't have run of the place anymore if that happened."

"That was the fucked up thing, though. the Priest said that he thought my being a Moon Senshi and all canonized by the Church would make her respect me more. And if my mom went back to her same old bitchy self instead of being less of a pain in the ass, he said I could live at the church."

"What, for real? The Church of Serenity?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck," Jirou said, shocked. "Are you going to let him talk to your mom?"

"I...I'm not sure," she said at last. "I don't know what the fuck to say. The whole thing seems so weird and fucked up. What do you think?"

Jirou sighed. "Serenity," he said at last. "Maybe you should take him up on it."

"You think so?" Fubuki replied, surprised.

"If you leave her as she is," Jirou replied, "she'll probably snap out of it eventually. And when she does, I'm sure she'll think nothing good of you. If the Priest can snap her out of it so that she doesn't think you're a demon child, that's probably for the best."

"You don't know that she'll snap out of it," Fubuki replied.

"She did last time," Jirou said. "So chances are, she will this time too. There's nothing physically wrong with your mother, even though it sure as hell seems like there is. She just saw something that, for a Serenity-obsessed whore like her, was damn traumatic."

Fubuki looked down at the kitchen floor. "All right," she said. "I guess I can always live at the royal hall of sparkling shit if I have to. Besides," she added, "it's fucking creepy, the way she's holed up in there, muttering to herself."

"See you tomorrow, maybe?" Jirou asked.

"Maybe," Fubuki evasively replied, hanging up the phone.

"You're making the right decision," Michito said, looking up from her work in the kitchen. Fubuki glared at her.

"You say something like that, I'll change my mind," she caustically replied.

* * *

Yamiko fidgeted nervously in front of the mirror as she looked at the outfit she had hemmed and hawed over for the last fifteen minutes; eventually, she settled on a frilly, victorian-style blouse with a pair of dark blue jeans. She wore her mother's bracelet on one wrist, but dared not wear any other jewelry for fear of overdressing.

"How do I look?" she said, walking out into the living room and fidgeting nervously in front of Sayoko. Sayoko appraised Yamiko's outfit, a stark contrast to her own slinky tank-top and ripped hot pants.

"You look very nice," Sayoko said with a smile. "Very tasteful. I hope you're not going to cook dinner in that?"

Yamiko rolled her eyes. "What do you think I was doing in front of the stove all morning? I have dinner all assembled; I just need to stick it in the oven."

"See, I don't have to feel like having a huge, expensive western appliance in the apartment is a waste of money--because I have you, Yamiko!"

Yamiko rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Sayoko. Now do you think you could put on something a _little_ more tasteful? I don't expect you to dress up, but for Serenity's sake, put on a shirt or something!"

Sayoko sighed, getting up off the couch and throwing her trashy celebrity magazine down on the coffee table with a satisfying smack. "Fiine," she said apathetically, walking into her bedroom.

Yamiko looked at her clock nervously and, checking the oven's preheat setting to make sure it was warm, put her lasagna in the oven. Kane had said his favorite food was Spanish rice, so she hoped that something similarly tomato-based would be okay. Yamiko sighed. Now that she had put in the food in the oven and set the clock, there was nothing left to do but fidget until Kane got here. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Yamiko pulled absent-mindedly at a half-broken nail. She shouldn't have insisted on choosing the movie! Now if she chose badly, she might end up making herself look bad. No--it was too late to back out now.

Yamiko almost jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the door, checked to make sure it was, in fact, Kane, and let him nervously into the entryway.

"You look nice," Kane said politely as he stepped through the door. Yamiko tried not to blush. "I like your shirt."

"Oh, well," she said, "I thought about wearing something ripped up and covered in curry, but I figured that would be overdressing." Kane laughed. He seemed somehow more friendly than when they had first met.

"Well, if it isn't the two lovebirds," Sayoko said, coming out in a significantly more tasteful fitted t-shirt and pencil skirt that cut off above her knees.

"You wish," Kane said, grinning. "You know, Sayoko, somehow I get the feeling that you have some voyeuristic tendencies."

"Who, me?" Sayoko said, feigning innocence. She turned toward Yamiko expectantly. "So, when's supper ready?"

"It won't take long," Yamiko assured them. "Just a few more minutes." She paused awkwardly.

"Thank you for letting me eat dinner here," Kane said, and he sounded sincere. "Ever since I was kicked out of the house, I've eaten alone. And frankly, when I ate with my parents, it was even worse."

Yamiko frowned, thinking of what her own relationship with her parents had been like. It had been so easy to talk like that when they were around...She looked up at Kane and thought of telling him to make up with his parents. But as she opened her mouth to speak, she realized that the words would sound preachy and awkward.

"I'm surprised you don't have any friends who invite you over," Sayoko said. "You'd think the ladies would be after you, anyway," she added with a wink.

Kane laughed. "Well, I can make an awkward first impression," he looked at Yamiko with a smile. "I'm sure Yamiko would agree."

"Er...right," she said, trying to regain her train of thought. "You were kinda creepy."

"Ouch!" Kane said with a frown. "Well, I'm sorry. I meant to compliment you."

"Don't listen to her, Kane," Sayoko said, leaning toward him and whispering loudly. "Compliments are only creepy if they're from old, unattractive people."

"Plus, there's the whole being critical of Serenity thing," he added. "That one's not really a hit with most people."

Sayoko shrugged. "You have a right to criticize the government," she said. "I'm no Seisui, but even I don't think she's some kind of shiny beacon of perfect...ness."

"Whatever that is," Yamiko replied, rolling her eyes. A quiet 'ding' rang through the kitchen. "That's the lasagna," she said, getting up and walking toward the oven.

"I'll get the plates," Kane said, walking into the kitchen. "Where do you keep them?"

"Uh, the door above the sink on the left," she replied. "And the cutlery is just below. Use forks and knives for lasagna." Kane retrieved the items and spread them out on the table as Yamiko brought the steaming dish and placed it on a trivet.

"Looks good," Sayoko said eagerly. "Almost as good as my sister, eh Kane?" Kane just rolled his eyes, and Yamiko blushed as she flashed her sister a dirty look.

"Let's eat," Yamiko said, cutting up the lasagna and serving it. Kane smiled as he took a bite.

"It's good," he said. "Thank you, Yamiko. Where did you learn to cook so well?"

Yamiko paused. "Well, when I was younger, my parents put a lot of pressure on me to do well academically, and I didn't get along with them very well because of it. My life was stressful. Sneaking into the kitchen and helping our cook make meals or desserts was an escape from that." Yamiko sighed and looked off to the faintly blushing sky beyond. "For me, cooking is sort of a calming, meditative activity," she said at last. "When your cook, your mind sort of clears, because you have to concentrate on what you're doing, but what you're doing isn't exactly intellectually intensive--even though it can be difficult. And anyway, there's a kind of satisfaction that comes from making and sharing a good meal that came from your own two hands."

"You used to have a cook?" Kane asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Yamiko replied. "We own a mansion outside of town. When we lived there with my parents, we had a whole wait-staff. But..." Yamiko sighed. "When I go there now, it's just painful. Everything echoes with loss. When my parents passed away, I couldn't bear to live there, and I moved to our downtown apartment. Besides," she added, turning back toward Kane, "the commute is quicker, so I save time."

"It must have been hard...having things be so tense between you--and then loosing them like that, before you had the chance to make things work."

Yamiko said nothing but looked away unhappily. Sayoko frowned. "I'm sorry," Kane said hastily. "I've said too much. I was trying to be sympathetic, but..."

"It's all right," Yamiko interjected sadly. "I know. Sometimes you're able to read my emotions a little too well, I think."

Kane started, as though he'd been slapped and looked to the side. "I'm sorry, I--" he sighed. "I have been too long out of the company of other people."

"Anyway," Sayoko interjected loudly, "Now that Kane has clearly established that he's sorry, let's move on. Since you have so strongly insisted on choosing the night's entertainment, Yamiko, what masterpiece of angst-filled cinema will we be watching?"

"Well," Yamiko said awkwardly, "I hadn't really thought about it, actually. I thought maybe Kane could help me decide, since he's the guest and all."

Kane shrugged. "Whatever you like," he said. "I know--maybe we could all make cookies together. Just like they do in American movies," he suggested enthusiastically.

"I think they just have sex in American movies," Sayoko interjected. "Not that that's a bad thing."

"Not _those_ movies," Kane snapped. "How about it, Yamiko? The cookies, I mean."

"Well..." Yamiko said doubtfully. "It might be fun, but we'd have to pick up an awful mess afterward. Plus Sayoko would probably just harass us the whole time and not help."

"I promise to help!" Sayoko said enthusiastically. "It sounds like fun. Anyway, with Master Chef Yamiko looking over my shoulder, maybe I can actually cook something without it burning or tasting weird."

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to, Yamiko," Kane said hastily. "It was just an idea. It just seemed nice, the way you talked about cooking."

"Oh, very well," Yamiko said. "But don't stick me with clean-up."

Kane bowed with a flourish. "I would never dream of letting a delicate lady such as yourself dirty her hands."

Yamiko smiled wryly. "Then I guess I'll be watching you two make cookies," she said.

"Uh," Kane said hastily, "I guess you'll have to get your hands a little dirty. I don't trust myself to do this alone."

"All right, then. What kind of cookies do we want to make?"

* * *

"All right, kiddos," Sayoko said, slamming her empty glass of beer down on the counter, "It's off to bed for me. I have all kinds of important things to do tomorrow."

"Sayoko," Yamiko said in exasperation, "you don't even have a job. What important things could you possibly have to do?"

Sayoko paused thoughtfully. "Cleaning?" she offered at last.

Yamiko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Like you're really known for cleaning."

Sayoko shrugged. "Night, Yami," she said, waving as she went into her bedroom.

"Your sister says she's planning on cleaning," Kane said wryly, "but she left us to clean up all of this mess," he said, motioning to the dirty bowls and cookie pans lying around the kitchen.

"Ugh, you're right," Yamiko said in exasperation, looking around as she put a hand on her forehead. "I'm so wiped..."

"I'll do it," Kane offered. "Well, I was going to do it in either case, but I wanted to make sure I got the brownie points."

Yamiko rolled her eyes. "No, I'll help you."

"No, really--" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder as she started toward the cookie pans. "I'd like to do it."

Yamiko paused. "No, it would be rude--"

"Please?" he said, looking at her plaintively.

Yamiko hesitated. "Oh, all right," she relented. "I'll sit in the dining room and keep you company."

"Don't be silly. If you're really wiped, you should get ready for bed. Take a shower and what-not."

"I can't leave you in here while I go off and ignore you. That really would be rude," Yamiko said.

"It would make me happier if you got to bed sooner, instead of staying up late and being tired to satisfy some kind of obligation to etiquette," he said earnestly.

Yamiko sighed. "Fine. I'll go brush my teeth," she said hopelessly, turning toward the bathroom.

"Okay," Kane said, smiling softly. He glanced out the window into the deep, dark night and then turned back to Yamiko. "Um, Yamiko..."

"Yeah?" she said, untying the messy ponytail she put in her hair to keep it out of the cookie batter.

"Do you think I could crash at your place? I would sleep out here, of course," he added hastily. "Or I could sleep in your sister's room, if you'd feel safer that way."

Yamiko frowned and looked a little uncomfortable. "I think Sayoko would be entirely too thrilled with that prospect," she said.

Kane felt torn. On one hand, the prospect of returning to a dark, empty room full of dark, empty memories hardly appealed to him. But he had found in the past with Yamiko that trying to get too friendly too soon seldom yielded positive results. "So...do you think I could crash on the couch?" he asked hopefully, almost timidly.

Yamiko sighed, glanced out at the darkening night. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What, are you afraid some group of thugs might get the wrong idea and try to hit on you on your way home?"

Kane fluttered his light brown eyelashes demurely. "Leave me alone! My heart belongs to another!" he said dramatically, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead.

Yamiko rolled her eyes. "Does it, now?"

Kane smiled gently. "Yes...it does."

Yamiko glanced away, uncomfortable. "There's a guest room over there, next to my sister's room," Yamiko said, indicating the room at the front of the hall. "The bathroom is right there, if you'd like to use it," she said, indicating another door that lead from the living room.

"After you, Yamiko," he said with joking gallantry. "After all, I have cleaning to attend to, my lady."

"Whatever," she said, going into her room to grab some pajamas and then making her way into the shower. Kane sat on the couch and listened quietly to the sound of shower running over her and the rhythmic snap-snap of soap bottles opening and closing.

Never again did he want to go home.

* * *

"I'm glad you decided to let me come," Sir Gakusha said with a kind of appreciative humility. Fubuki held the door open and looked him over, then stepped aside to let him through. "I know this wasn't an easy decision to make."

Fubuki was silent for a long time. Then she scoffed, looking off toward her mother's room. "Fuck--what've I got to lose?"

Sir Gakusha nodded and moved toward the room of Fubuki's suffering mother.

"I'm going over to Jirou's," Fubuki announced, standing up. "Call me when it's over, Michito."

Michito walked out of the dining room, where she had been cleaning, and looked at Fubuki. Fubuki's eyes widened as her nanny hugged her tightly. "Whatever happens," she said, "I promise I will be there."

Fubuki's eyes softened, but she tried to pretend she didn't care. She scoffed. "Don't say lame-ass things," she said dismissively. "I'm heading out."

* * *

"So you just left him there to talk to her?" Jirou asked dubiously.

"Fuck yeah," Fubuki said. They sat down in a broad, garden-covered park with stone statues of the Sailor Guardians. "I don't want to be involved with that bullshit. It sounds like a pain in the ass," she said. Jirou said nothing but looked at her and sighed.

"Here it comes," Fubuki said dryly.

"Here comes what?" Jirou asked, annoyed.

"You're going to give me a stupid lecture about how I shouldn't have transformed in front of my mother," Fubuki said. "About how I'm fucking crazy."

Jirou smiled. "Nah," he said. "The way it's looking, maybe you were right all along. It looks like Daisuke, crazily enough, is going to help you. And anyway..." he sighed. "If there really was a youma, maybe you didn't have much of a choice. It's a hell of a lot better, you acting like a psycho and transforming in front of everyone, than getting hurt by that monster."

Fubuki scoffed. "For a minute there, it sounded like you cared about me."

"Would it be such a bad thing if I did?" he asked dryly.

Fubuki smiled. "Fuck," she said. "I guess not." She put her arm roughly around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Maybe if I have to move into the church, they'll let you come with me."

"They'd probably make us get married," Jirou said. "And I can't imagine you in one of those ridiculous dresses."

"I'm a goddess now," she said, grinning wickedly. "They'll have to let me have my way."

* * *

"As I mentioned on the phone, your mother has come to an understanding with me," Sir Gakusha told Fubuki, who stood uncertainly outside her own doorway. Fubuki glanced at her mother's solemn, tear-stained face and back at Gakusha.

"What kind of understanding?" Fubuki said cautiously, looking toward Gakusha.

"I was afraid of your power," her mother admitted sadly. "Afraid of you. But...Gakusha has told me how you saved the church. That you powers are not given to you by Chaos. That you are, after all, one of the chosen warriors. From now on..." she looked awkwardly to the side. "I should give you the kind of respect that that kind of position deserves."

"While still being her mother," Gakusha added kindly. "I'll be talking with you mother a lot over the next few weeks to return your life to some normalcy," he explained. "I hope you'll come to these sessions, Fubuki, so your mother will know you're the same person, but come to understand and respect your feelings."

"Whatever," Fubuki said.

"Please do this for me, Fubuki," Gakusha said, bowing his head. "It would mean everything to me if you could help your mother, the congregation, and yourself by doing this."

"Fine," she said. "Just don't waste too much of my time."

"Thank you, Fubuki," he said, bowing deeply. "You may be a soldier of violence, but you use your abilities as a warrior to further righteousness."

Fubuki rolled her eyes. "I'm going up to my room," she said. "Jirou's going to hang out tomorrow," she added. She looked toward her mother, as though daring her mother to object. Her mother glanced toward Gakusha, who nodded approvingly.

"Okay," she said hesitantly. "I'll ask Michito to prepare dinner. I'll...probably be sorting things out at work then."

"Good," Fubuki said. "Er, fine."

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then," Gakusha said, looking toward Fubuki's mother.

"Tomorrow, then," she repeated, her voice dimming down to something faint and void of energy.

* * *

Kane grunted slightly and covered his eyes as brilliant light shone through his eyelids, tainting the darkness bright red. "What is that?" he mumbled, half asleep.

"The sun," Sayoko said dryly, raising an eyebrow. Kane looked up; that's right, he had spent the night at Yamiko's. The guest room had light blue walls with dark, deep blue furnishings and a bamboo floor.

"What time is it?" he asked absently. Sayoko glanced away, making a half-hearted attempt at modesty; he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Time to get up and go to school for the teen-aged set," she said.

"Right," he said, turning to a clock that read six o'clock. "Has Yamiko left yet?"

"No," Sayoko replied. "She's in the kitchen, making us all breakfast. So you should probably get some clothes on, unless you're hoping to make a pretty strong impression on my sister."

Kane blushed, looking down at his bare torso. "I'm wearing boxers," he said defensively.

"Really?" Sayoko said, grinning fiendishly. "Then you must have worn two pairs yesterday, because I see you have some on the floor over there," she said, pointing to a pair of black boxers lying on the carpeted floor. "Well, have fun putting on your second pair of boxers. I'll see you at the breakfast table."

Kane dressed himself neatly and thoughtfully, rolling up the cuffs on his shirt and sticking the skinny tie he had worn to Yamiko's yesterday in the pocket of his blazer, which he slung over his arm. It was bad enough to wear the same clothes two days in a row, but to wear them in exactly the same fashion was more than Kane could bear. He slipped into the bathroom and gargled with some mouth wash he found there; then he walked down the hall and into the dining room, where a fragrantly scented plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and cherry tomatoes were laid out. Yamiko was eating quietly, the late spring sun shining brightly on her glossy black hair.

"The sunrise," he said, looking toward her and then out the window. "You forget how beautiful it is." Yamiko shared his glance outside.

"Yeah," she agreed. "When you see it everyday, you sort of get numb to the view. But you're right. It is beautiful."

Kane glanced at Yamiko, as though he had thought he weren't talking out loud and was surprised to find that Yamiko could hear him. "I'll walk you to school," he said. "If you don't mind," he added hastily.

"No," Yamiko said. "I could use the company."

* * *

"I have been remiss in my duties as a gentleman," Kane said, smiling. "I never thanked you for letting me stay the night."

Yamiko shrugged. "It's not a big deal," she said. "It's not like my apartment doesn't fit you."

Kane laughed; Yamiko's luxurious apartment was probably several times larger than it needed to be for her and her sister. "Even so," he said. "It was very kind of you to let a boy you don't even know stay at your house overnight."

"Listen to you," Yamiko said, her usually placid mouth turning up at one edge. "You sound like some sort of Victorian gentleman caller. Next you'll be inviting me for tea and crumpets."

Kane bowed in a foppish, European fashion, twirling his right hand before holding it out. "My lady," he said, repressing a snicker, "will you do me the honor of joining me for lunch this afternoon?"

"Oh please," Yamiko said, exasperated. Kane was making a spectacle of both of them, and she could feel her cheeks flushing bright red as passerby glanced toward them.

Kane laughed and stood up. He frowned as he watched Yamiko glancing around self-consciously, her thin, pale face worked into a frown. "I'm sorry," he said. "I've made you uncomfortable again, haven't I?"

Yamiko smiled. "A little, maybe, but I think it was sweet of you." She looked at him thoughtfully; his pale, angular face almost blended into his brightly shining platinum hair. "You've gotten much better about that."

"Well," he said, "I have no desire to displease you."

Yamiko laughed. "You'd think it was hopeless romantic day, from the way you've been acting," she said jokingly. "First the comment about the sunrise this morning, and now all this. Did you stay up late reading Jane Austen novels or something?"

Kane blushed, suddenly self-conscious. "Have I really been acting so strange?"

"Yes," she said.

"Does that mean you're not coming to lunch with me?" he asked, his face disappointed.

Yamiko sighed. "I suppose I could go to lunch with you," she said.

"Thank you," Kane said, smiling. "Now, if you--"

Kane inhaled sharply as something hit him squarely from behind, ramming him in the back and sending him sprawling across the ground. Yamiko turned, aghast, as a tall, slender man stood in front of Kane; he wore a black mask, covered in sparkling stones and hanging charms, and his doublet-style shirt and tailored pants were similarly dark and sparkling. He picked up Kane by the collar and threw him into a nearby wall; the blonde-haired boy slid down the wall and groaned as his dark velvet trenchcoat bunched around him. "Yamiko...." he mumbled, slumping over.

"Kane!" Yamiko cried, running toward him. He looked at her vaguely. Yamiko turned toward the strange man, her face contorted in anger. "Why?" she said angrily. "What do you want with Kane?"

"It's quite simple," the man replied, "I--"

His sentence was broken off abruptly; he jerked forward, clutching his head in pain. Yamiko looked as Sailor Juno stood over him. "There's plenty more where that came from, asshole," she spat, kicking him forward into the pavement. She turned toward Yamiko. "A word to the wise. Never, ever ask a villain what their motives are. They relish the excuse for you to hear their melodramatic tirades."

Yamiko just flashed a dirty look at Juno and raised her hand high in the air. "Phoebe prism power, make up!" she cried. Inky darkness surrounded her, forming the fuku of Sailor Phoebe. "Dark Garrote!"

A dark, viscous hand reached out and grabbed the youma; it coughed and reached its free arm through the dark, fat fingers, but could not move. Still, when the darkness dissipated and the attack ended, the sparkling youma was still on its feet and ready, if disoriented.

"No way..." Phoebe murmured. "That attack killed the last youma I used it on!"

"Your attack only has as much power as you have faith in yourself," Juno replied. "Something has happened between then and now to make it less powerful."

"No," Phoebe said with certainty. "I want nothing more than to save Kane now...I..." Phoebe's pale face was flushed. "I'm through doubting and second-guessing. I'm still too weak to go through life with certainty, but I think if he is--" Yamiko stopped awkwardly, blushing. "I think I can find a way to be sure of myself."

"Well, at this rate, we aren't doing too well--I don't have an attack, and yours isn't working. So we better hope back-up gets here soon."

Sailor Phoebe pulled out her watch and hastily typed the first name she could think of into the keyboard. Charon....great. Tokimo. Well, she wasn't in a position to be picky.

"Charon, I need you outside the school doors ASAP!" she cried. Tokimo looked surprised but nodded.

The jeweled man turned toward Juno and pulled a long, thin spear from nowhere. He stepped forward rapidly, aiming the spear at Juno's heart. "Dammit," she spat, grabbing the spear and holding it back as it pushed toward her, inches from her heart. Sweat began to bead on her forehead. "Do something, dammit!"

"Er...." Sailor Phoebe took a deep breath, tried to focus. "Shadow dragon!" she cried, and a dark dragon swirled from her fingertips and barreled into the spear, sending it flying out of the youma's hands and into the street beyond.

Sailor Juno ran toward the youma and sent her fist toward his face; the youma dodged it casually, chuckling. "What, do you think a little karate will do the trick?" He grabbed Juno's bow and threw her against the wall, next to Kane. "We aren't having a practice match, little girl."

"Dammit!" she hissed. "Curse you...!" She looked around, desperate. "Where are the others?"

"Now, to finish off this sorry excuse for a human being," the youma said with a sigh, turning toward Kane.

"Dark Garrote!" Yamiko cried, her voice cold and deadly. This time, she knew better than to bother trying to crush this man in one blow; obviously, that was not going to work. Instead, she let the inky darkness coalesce around the creature's neck and face, blinding him and threatening him with suffocation.

"I suggest you stop that," the youma said calmly, "you would not want to anger me."

"What reason do I have to believe something like you even feels anger?" she said. "Tell me, before I decide to kill you for hurting him. Who do you work for, and why the hell are you targeting Kane?"

"I see absolutely no reason to tell you," the creature said.

"Of course not. I'm blinding you. But you can sure as hell feel a reason," she said, squeezing her fist. The youma began to choke.

"Gurrggck," the youma coughed. "Eh-Eros," he spat at last. "It makes no difference if you know. I work for Eros."

"And what does Eros want?" she asked.

"He wants you to suffer," the youma replied. "He wants you to suffer, Yamiko, just like we suffered--just for him."

"What?" Phoebe said, confused and shocked that the youma knew her name.

"Love is suffering," he said. "And you will suffer, for the sake of Nemesis. When you see your loved one in pain, it brings us power. Great power."

"You..." Phoebe hissed, looking at the youma and squeezing her hand tightly. The youma began to choke, but his choking was mixed with a high, dry laugh.

"Feral charge!" Juno cried, her face contorted in anger. She reached out her arms, and conical, sharply pointed blades of bronze spun around each other and tore into the Youma's stomach. He coughed as blood oozed out of his abdomen.

"I thought you said you didn't have an attack!" Phoebe said, turning toward Juno.

"I didn't," she said, frowning. "But I got sick of listening to this prick. So I do now."

* * *

"I thought I should let you know that I'm going to be working at the school again," Hotaru said, approaching Erik's desk in the teacher's office.

"Don't tell me you're out of your other job?" he said, smiling wryly.

Hotaru smiled patiently. "Usako wanted to be put in charge of Nemesis. My supervision was the compromise made between her and her father."

"Does Seisui know yet?" Erik asked, looking toward her.

"No," Hotaru replied.

"I'm sure she'll care more than I will," he replied. "I'm glad of the extra help, but your being here could be a bad reminder of what's happened. And with things as they are for her right now, I worry about anything else that could bring pain to her."

"Has something else happened since I last had news of her?" Hotaru asked, concerned.

"Ah," Erik replied. "I guess Usako hasn't told you. Last time there was a battle, Seisui couldn't transform."

"But why?"

Erik sighed. "Why do these things usually happen? She lost confidence in herself--lost her reasons to fight."

"Maybe there's something I can do to help...."

Erik raised an eyebrow and looked at Hotaru's slight figure. "Not now, Hotaru--not yet. For all that you two share in common, Seisui doesn't like or trust you. You need to prove to her that you don't stand for everything she hates--and that's going to take a very long time, if it ever happens at all." Erik opened his mouth as if to add something, but he closed his mouth abruptly and looked toward the door, his face troubled.

"Is something amiss?" Hotaru asked, looking toward him with concern.

"I have to go," he said. "Someone needs help."

"Then I must go as well," she said. "Come on." They slid the door of the teacher's lounge open and made their way down the twisting hallways of Goban High. Erik could see Seisui's amber-colored hair waving slightly as she ran down the hallway and toward the front door.

"Seisui," Erik called out. Seisui glanced behind herself but did not slow down; Erik ran toward her and kept pace beside her.

"It's Phoebe," Seisui said. "She and Kane have been attacked."

"Targeting the Moon Senshi again..." Hotaru murmured.

"You'd better watch out," Seisui said, "It may be your princess who is targeted next. Perhaps the only reason the Sailor Senshi haven't been targets is because they sequester themselves in their Crystal Palace."

"Perhaps," Hotaru replied. Seisui said nothing as she made her way toward the front gate.

When she got there, Hotaru worried what could happen if she were not able to transform.

* * *

The youma groaned as he looked down at the bronze spears in his stomach. He pulled them out, slowly, blood pooling on the sidewalk like water out of an overfilled bathtub. He gasped for breath.

"Are you two all right?" Hotaru asked as she came through the school gate. Seisui was right behind her; the Crimson Eagle stood above Kane on the wall, his dark mask distant and foreboding. Phoebe and Juno nodded.

"You've come just in time for the end of the show," she said. "I've taken it out already. It's only a matter of time, now."

"Fool..." the masked man said. His gaping wound had healed over; nothing of it remained but a ripped, bloody shirt.

"Spoke too soon," Juno said ruefully. Phoebe looked shocked; her face was white with fear. She could not believe Juno's cavalier attitude in the face of this monster. The youma glanced casually toward his new visitors.

Hotaru wasted no time. "Saturn crystal power, make up!" a circle of dark, purple energy materialized below her; the energy soared upward, materializing into her senshi uniform. The youma ran toward Kane as she transformed; the Crimson Eagle threw an iron ring into the youma's arm as it made its way to the boy. It frowned petulantly and pulled the ring out, throwing it to the ground; the wound healed instantly.

Phoebe glanced at Kane. He suddenly looked afraid; she had never seen him look afraid before. When the youma had attacked him before, his only concern seemed to be for Yamiko. But there was something in his eyes this time...like someone who has realized something horrible too late. "Back off," he said.

"Why should I?" the youma said. "Coeus has given me all the power I need to kill you. And after all--"

"Don't you dare!" he screamed at the youma. "Don't you _dare_!"

"Silence glaive surprise!" Saturn shouted. A murky, purple mist formed around the youma. It suddenly looked confused and turned around, as if looking for it's target.

"Titan prism power, make up!" Sesiui cried, reaching above her. She grinned triumphantly as the familiar swirl of black water formed around her, transforming her into Sailor Titan. The youma was still lost in the confusion of the fog. "Black Stream--" black water began to spin out of Sailor Titan's arms as she pointed them toward the youma. But she was not even able to finish the attack before the black water came swirling back toward her and her fuku dissolved, leaving behind her plain school uniform. "No..." she murmured. The fog cleared and the Youma turned back toward Kane.

"Say goodbye to your beau," the youma said, walking toward him. "His death will bring you suffering...and me, freedom at last."

"What have you been told to think so twistedly?" Kane asked the youma, who grinned with a satisfied smile. He stood up, his back straight; Phoebe was surprised how graceful he was after having been forcefully thrown into a wall.

"What I always needed to hear," he said. "That true love, unlike you, is not selfish, E-"

Kane punched the youma squarely in the gut. It fell backward and crashed into the ground. Kane turned toward Saturn. "The glaive--quickly!"

Sailor Saturn chose not to question Kane's command. She held the glaive horizontally above her head, the blade pointing forward, and drove it into the Youma's heart. The strange, masked man dissolved immediately and the glaive clattered to the ground, leaving a picture of a youthful, boyish-looking teenager with jet-black hair.

Saturn picked up her glaive; Kane picked up the portrait and frowned. "What is it?" Saturn asked.

"I'm not sure," Kane replied, handing her the portrait. "I think it's him."

Yamiko ran to Kane as her uniform dissolved around her. She hugged him tightly; Kane smiled beatifically, leaning his head against her shoulder. "I'm so relieved you're all right," she said.

"Me too," he said with a chuckle. "That creature seemed much more powerful than the other ones."

"It was strange, wasn't it," she said, "how that punch you gave it just seemed to make it give up. Juno impaled the monster better that Saturn, even, and it just kept on going."

"It must have been since she sent her glaive through the heart," Kane said. "Juno only hit him in the stomach."

"Yeah, but..." Yamiko looked thoughtful. "Well, nevermind. I suppose it doesn't--"

"I'm here!" Sailor Charon shouted, running out of the school gate, Naginata in hand. Kouken pit-patted alongside her, visibly distraught. "Did I miss anything?"

"Yeah," Yamiko said, "you missed everything. It's over." she turned toward Kane. "Are you going to be okay?"

"It's nothing," he said, rubbing his back. "Just extremely painful."

"Good," Yamiko replied. "I mean, not good, but--"

Kane laughed. "I know what you mean." He looked toward where the youma had disappeared, his face dark. "Is it just me, or was that one much more powerful than the others?"

"If what I've read of the other youma is true," Saturn replied. "Those were easily taken out by a single Moon Senshi attack."

They turned as they heard the sound of rough footsteps running across the sidewalk toward school. "What happened?" Usako said, alarmed. "Why didn't you call us, Juno?"

"There was no time, or opportunity," she said. "Phoebe barely had a chance herself."

"This is why I always insist on sticking together!" Haruko said, frowning. "You _know_ we don't have an attack when we're alone."

"I didn't want to make all of you schelp all the way here an hour early."

"If you didn't join the track team, you wouldn't have to schelp here an hour early!" Haruko said huffily.

"Anyway," Diana added, "you must know we wouldn't have minded. Your safety is far more important than our convenience!"

"What made you decide to join track all of a sudden, anyway?" Akiko asked.

Juno frowned. "I've been thinking about what happened before the meeting--what we decided, and why we decided it," Juno said. "Usako wanted to break away from having to identify herself with the planetary senshi--with being defined only by the fact that she's in a team. Well, I want to define myself too," Juno said stubbornly. "I know what you're going to say--we're Usako's guardians, it's our job to be a team. And I agree. But that doesn't mean we can't be our own people, too." she paused, glancing toward the school. Her face was tense and frustrated. "I feel a bond of kinship of with you all--with my sisters. But I want to be someone besides a member of the Quartet. Sometimes I feel like we don't even have identities at all--like we're just four faces on one senshi."

Haruko was silent for a very long time. Fuyuko's face seemed to go pale with fear; Akiko looked considerably less cowed by the exchange, but she still looked like she would rather be somewhere else. Juno stared at Haruko straight in the eyes, unafraid. This was a fight she was determined to win. "You wouldn't have made it out of this fight without Phoebe and Saturn," Haruko said at last. "You don't have an attack you can use alone. It's fine to talk of independence, but the very way we operate just goes to show that we're inseparable. We don't even have senshi attacks we can use without each other!"

"Not anymore," Juno retorted. "I have my own senshi attack now."

"Oh?"

Juno turned toward the empty street. "Feral charge!" she cried with a vengeance. Conical, pointed blades of bronze spiraled into the air; after flying down the street for several yards, they fell with a clatter, then evaporated into a shimmering vapor. Haruko looked at Juno, shocked.

"That was most impressive!" Diana said appreciatively. "Your attack will be a great asset to the team."

Huarko frowned, mulling over what she had seen. "Do as you like," she said at last, huffily. Juno watched Haruko walk past her and into the school gates. Akiko glanced at Juno, aghast, as she followed Haruko. Fuyuko watched them leave and then turned toward Juno.

"That was _awesome_," she said enthusiastically. "None of us have ever stood up to her. I mean...you've always kind of been the rebel, but I never though you'd actually, y'know, rebel."

Juno closed her eyes and her senshi fuku dissolved, making her Natsuko once again. "I realized something when Usako stood up to the others," Natsuko said. "We're in the same boat as her, but even worse. Lady Serenity wanted independence, to make her own choices. But at least, even when she was beholden to her parents, she had her own identity. We don't even have that. No one ever thinks of us as people. They just think of us as 'the Quartet.'"

Fuyuko looked intrigued. "I had never thought of it that way," she said. "Maybe I should try to make something of myself, too," she said.

"Maybe. Although I didn't do much of a job joining track team. The morning practice is over," she said, turning and following after Haruko. Fuyuko ran after her, almost adoringly.

Saturn's uniform dissolved; the rest of the Moon Senshi followed suit, resuming their civilian forms--except, of course, Seisui, who was already in her ordinary school uniform.

Hotaru turned toward her. She looked utterly dejected; Hotaru could only imagine the desolation that she felt. Glancing at Tokimo, Hotaru could tell that Seisui's friend had a pretty good idea of what had happened. "Seisui, I--"

"Go away," Seisui said. "If you, of all people, try comforting me, It's going to make things far worse."

"She's right, Hotaru," the Crimson Eagle interjected. He jumped down from the wall and his armor dissipated, making him Erik vonDarkmoor once more. "Like I said, you aren't the person she needs right now."

Hotaru looked a little disappointed, but didn't protest. "Come on, Usako, Hiroshi, Diana," she said to her charges. "We should get going." They nodded and followed her into the tall, vaguely sparkling school building.

Erik glanced up into the trees; he could see Ikkoku. If a hawk could be goading, she managed it.

"Seisui...!" Tokimo said, moving toward her friend. Seisui looked at the ground.

"It's okay, Seisui," Erik said. "at a time like this--"

"Don't let yourself give up, Seisui," Tokimo said. "Things have been hard on you...on all of us, but on you most of all. If you can't transform, you shouldn't lose hope." She hugged her friend tightly. Seisui sniffled as she returned the embrace.

"If I can't be happy, Tokimo," she said, "can't I at least be useful?"

"You are useful, Seisui," Tokimo replied. "You're the best friend I've ever had. That's worth a lot more to me than any powers."

Erik looked on helplessly. He wasn't any use to her after all. He glanced up at Ikkoku, who ruffled her feathers and pointed towards Seisui encouragingly with a wing. What was she hoping to accomplish? What could he say that would possibly make Seisui feel better about losing her powers? He, himself, was almost powerless next to the Sailor Senshi. Perhaps that should have made him better able to soothe her. But what had his powers accomplished? He hadn't really saved anyone.

Quite the opposite...he flinched, shuddering at the memory of blood and insanity.

No. Best to leave such things to Tokimo. He had proved himself more than useless in these situations. He turned around and left, Ikkoku looked accusingly at him as he turned around.

"What are you doing?" she said. "You still have a Sailor Senshi to help!"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed," Erik said, annoyed, "but helping Sailor Senshi is not something I seem to excel at." He glanced toward the school building, where the bell threatened to ring before too long. "At least I'm actually a good English teacher."

"Don't worry, Seisui," Tokimo said. "We'll work through this, just like we've worked through everything else."

* * *

"It was you!" Eros cried, slamming open the door of Coeus' and Mauros' room. Mauros sat on his bed, his tall, stately form hunched and bent over as he silently drew a scene of a man trapped in a nebulous glass house, looking desperately toward the sky. Coeus looked considerably more self-satisfied; he sat on a large, comfortable upholstered chair. He was interlocking tiny, mechanical parts on a tiny, mechanical dog. His face was calm and emotionless. "You infused my shine with kakon. Charis was not supposed to be half as powerful as that!"

"What I did caused your little song and dance to yield twice the kakon that it would have normally, because Yamiko felt Kane was actually in danger. Otherwise, she would have taken care of Charis easily, and that would have been that."

"You must have used far more energy than we got back! I had to suck the power out of him to even make him vulnerable to attack!"

"Well," Coeus said, "my hope was that Kane would be killed. Then, Sailor Phoebe would be upset enough to make up for the kakon I spent--easily so."

"You can't be serious," Eros said.

"Oh, I'm entirely serious," Coeus said darkly, standing up and holding his mechanical dog in front of Eros. "Nemesis told me to send the message. You have one day to disappoint Yamiko in love, Eros. If you don't deliver, I've been instructed to kill you. But don't worry--I'll make sure your plans get carried out first. I'll unmask Kane. I'll show her it's you. _Then_ I'll kill you. So that the kakon will be great--so that you can never redeem yourself, and Yamiko will hate you forever."

"I can end it tomorrow," he said defiantly. "Easily. I would have liked longer, but now is easy enough. You make it sound as though I wouldn't want to break Yamiko's heart. As though revealing myself wasn't my plan all along."

"You're not fooling anyone, Eros," Coeus said. "Old habits die hard. You've fallen in love with the girl. And we both know that you won't end it tomorrow. You'll keep it going until I take it from you--because you're just an old fool in love with another vapid strumpet."

Eros said nothing. He stared at the bitter, blue-haired man, turned around, and left.

_EPISODE FIFTEEN: ~FIN~_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Kazeko:** I have avoided my fate long enough. It is time to take my place amongst the gods.

**Fubuki**: At last, I have my mother's fear and respect. At last, I have the freedom I deserve, the chance at something with Jirou. How could things go badly?

**Erik**: How easy to talk of defending all and preferencing none. How hard to be that shining beacon.

**Natsuko**: I have begun the start of something none too popular with Haruko. Soon, each of us will realize what I already have; we are four as one, not one as four.

**Hotaru**: As I see the trials and tribulations Usako must face in dealing with the Moon Senshi--the decisions that must be made--I realize the accomplishment she has truly reached. Perhaps we are equals after all, my dear friend.

**Yamiko**: Me and Kane are viciously attacked by an entirely new monstrosity. As Coeus enters the stage, the mysterious Kane is revealed. The trust I finally placed in another will be shattered apart.

**Usako**: This is it, Eros. Will you stand with righteousness--or will you abandon life, filled with hopelessness now that the senshi of desolation has abandoned you?

**Eros**: Her lips are like the roses fair...The sweetest smile and the gentlest hands--I love the ground whereon she stands.

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"Black is the Color"_

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.

* * *


	16. Episode Sixteen: Black is the Color

"Hey," Fuyuko exclaimed as a passerby clumsily bumped against her. "You okay? You gotta be more careful."

"Yes," Kazeko said hazily, trying to stand up straight and look alert. She was tried to focus as she walked toward her class, but she still wasn't at peace with her true nature, and the nagging doubts that lingered still tugged at her. As she walked down the hallway it looked long and directionless; all of the students looked the same, and the light that streamed from the windows seemed to blind and disorient her even more.

"You look kinda dazed," Fuyuko said, squinting her eyes and stepping forward. She was only inches from Kazeko; Kazeko shuffled backwards awkwardly. "I know you, don't I?"

"You're Sailor Pallas," Kazeko replied. She had known at much as soon as she ran into her; Fuyuko emanated the power that came from a sailor crystal. "I'm Kazeko. I think we've met a couple of times, when I was with...." she glanced about a bit nervously. "The others."

"Oh, then you must be..." she looked at Kazeko. "Hm. You know, I don't recall who you are."

"Ariel," Kazeko replied. "But you haven't seen me transform, so I'm not surprised that you don't recognize me."

"You weren't at the fight yesterday," Fuyuko remarked.

"No," she said. "I was home yesterday...thinking things over."

"What kinda things?"

"That I'm a Sailor Senshi," she replied, looking out a nearby window. "And what I'm going to do now."

* * *

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou

Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara

Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo

Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no

Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo

I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,

I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,

being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past

It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since

You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,

I need an even stronger comfort

Even if I make only mistakes,

Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Sixteen:

"Black is the Color"

* * *

Fuyuko shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? Beat up monsters. Hang out with other sailor senshi."

Kazeko smiled patiently, if somewhat half-heartedly. "That isn't so much the part I'm struggling with. It's just...I've thought of the sailor senshi as gods. Now that I am one, I'm not sure how to think of them."

Fuyuko shrugged. "Why think anything at all? Just think of them as people.

"But we aren't just people," Kazeko said. "Our powers set us apart...they make us more than just people."

"Do they?" Fuyuko looked out the window at the courtyard below. "Hmm...I guess they make us a special kind of person. But I still think of myself as a normal person, just a person with special powers."

"Maybe you would know better than me," Kazeko said. "You've been a sailor senshi all this time."

"I have?" Fuyuko paused thoughtfully. "Well, I 'spose I've been one almost as long as I can remember. But that isn't too long."

"When did you find out?" Kazeko turned to Fuyuko, intensely interested.

"Well..." she crinkled her nose. "It's a little complicated. But basically, after I was saved by Hotaru, I found out I was a member of the Sailor Quartet. My memories only go back about a year before that, when the evil Queen Neherenia found me sleeping on Pallas." Fuyuko paused. "Now that I think about it, I've know I was a sailor senshi almost as long as I can remember."

"Maybe being a senshi feels normal to you because it's all you've ever known," Kazeko suggested. "You're not used to thinking of a senshi as a god, so what you've thought is 'normal' may not be so normal to other people."

Fuyuko paused, leaning her chin on her hand. "Could be," she said. "But...well, I'm not sure I've ever really felt _normal_, either," she admitted. "I suppose I haven't been around long enough to really decide what it means to be normal for most people. It's kinda like...there's not even really a me. I know so little about myself, I can't even form an opinion about who I am...besides Sailor Pallas."

"When we used to worship the Tuatha de Dannann," Kazeko told her, "we believed that they had personalities, likes and dislikes, just like normal people. It was just their power, their ability to change fate, that made them gods."

"Well, that sounds to me just like what I said," Fuyuko replied. "A person with special powers. If you never believed these god-people had superhuman personalities--just superhero powers--then why are you having so much trouble accepting that you could be one? Just take who you are and add superpowers. Bam! Your new identity."

"It doesn't seem like it should be that simple," Kazeko said. "If nothing else, I have new responsibilities now; phenomenal ones."

"You don't seem like the kinda person who can't handle responsibility," Fuyuko said dubiously. "Am I wrong?"

Kazeko sighed. She bit her lip as the images of the men in red came flooding back to her, images of abandonment and abandoning. "I-I don't know," she said at last.

They were silent for a long time, watching as early risers began to shuffle their way to class. "I know how that feels," she said, and for a moment, her carefree, perky voice seemed absent.

Kazeko looked at her curiously. "D-do you...have trouble accepting your life as a senshi?"

Fuyuko shook her head. "No. I'm having trouble knowing what kind of person I am. I don't even know. Who am I?" she smiled at Kazeko. "I'm a little jealous of you. You may have trouble accepting who you are, but at least you know who you are. You have a line of memories marching back to when you're still a kid and your mom had to wipe the snot from your nose. Me...my first memories only go back a few years. And a lot of those are bad ones--memories of trying to hurt the person I'm supposed to be protecting."

Kazeko closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Fuyuko's energy was bright and focused, like a blue flame. There was great strength in that power. Kazeko reached into her bag, grabbing one of her Norse runes. She glanced down at the smooth, bright stone's inscription as she held it before her. "Tiwaz," she said aloud.

"Who-what-now?" Fuyuko asked, confused.

Kazeko held the rune toward the ice-haired girl. "It means...finding your strengths. The ability to analyze."

Fuyuko looked at the rune intensely. She seemed to take its message far more seriously than Seisui had. "Hey Kazeko," she said, "want to join the board games club with me?"

"Board games club?"

"Yeah, y'know...like Go, Chess, Othello...that kind of thing. I've been wanting to try it, but y'know, I was always stuck with the others before, and they weren't very good partners. But now that Natsuko is off trying to find her identity, I figure I should get a chance to, too."

Kazeko paused. She had often played board games with Iain, especially fidchell and stratego. She feared that such games would only bring back painful memories. "I...I don't know," she said at last.

"Come on," Fuyuko said cajolingly, grabbing Kazeko's hand. Kazeko pulled her hand away abruptly.

"P-please," she said, "don't..."

"I'm sorry," Fuyuko interjected. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. But will you try it with me? You seem like the kinda person that'd be an ace at board games."

"I am," Kazeko said, then blushed. She had spoken without thinking. "W-well, I mean--"

"Then let's do it together! Come on. I've only ever hung out with Chibi-Usa and the others. Not that that's a bad thing, but I'd like to explore on my own a bit. So let's join together. Please?"

Kazeko sighed. "Very well," she relented. "It matters not what I think."

"Sure it does," Fuyuko said. "But you'll have fun doing this, I promise. If I wasn't so sure, I wouldn't badger."

* * *

"Welcome," Michito said, opening the door for Jirou. "Dinner's just about ready."

"Damn...I never thought I would hear those words from anyone in this house," he said. "I thought I was too unclean to eat here." Michito smiled.

"Well, as you've probably heard, Fubuki's come to an agreement with her mother."

"Yeah," he said. "I heard." He slipped off his shoes and made his way into the living room, where Fubuki was smoking fuzz and looking out the window as she sat on her mother's expensive leather couch. "Anything interesting out there?" he asked.

Fubuki smiled. "Not anymore. But there was some cute guy walking by just a second ago."

"You're in a good mood, I see," he said, returning the smile.

"I think..." she sighed. "I think things will be okay." She looked over at him. "How are things at your house?"

"The same, with my parents," he replied. "Chikao's doing a bit better. Meimi has gotten him to take his schoolwork more seriously...maybe, unlike the two of us, he stands a chance."

"I..." Fubuki drew again from her stick. "Oh, fuck it."

"What?" Jirou asked, sitting down next to her. "Just spit it out. You'll regret it later if you don't."

"Hell, I guess I haven't...I guess you have a pretty fucked up family, too."

Jirou laughed. "Me and everybody else. Don't tell me you're feeling guilty now? Shit, the wonders never cease." Fubuki looked annoyed. "I appreciate it," he added more seriously. "But don't worry about my asshole family. We three are used to taking care of each other."

"Maybe...if things keep up well with my mom, and it's extra fucked up over there, you guys could--"

"Are you kidding? Staying here would be way too fucking awkward. But thanks anyway." He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "Putting the others aside, though, I think I might take you up on your offer."

Fubuki hugged his midsection.

"What about Sailor Miranda? Now that Daisuke's your biggest fan--"

"Oh, shut the fuck up," Fubuki said, sitting up straight and throwing a throw pillow at him. Jirou laughed.

"Seriously," he said, "are you going to make a habit of killing these youma? Or are you just going to fuck them up when they get in your face?"

Fubuki put out her stick as she pondered his question. It smoked in a plume of prismatic color. "I hate to admit it," she said, "but I kind of enjoy spilling their guts across the floor. Somehow....it sets free all the anger that always feels like it's fucking eating me inside out. Maybe do-gooding can serve a higher purpose."

"Your enjoyment?" he asked with a grin.

"Damn straight," she replied.

"Dinner's ready," Michito announced. Fubuki and Jirou got up and made their way into the dining room. Warm dishes of croquette curry were laid out for each of them.

"Eat with us," Fubuki said.

"If you wish," Michito said. She went back into the kitchen and returned with a plate of the dish for herself.

"This is fucking awesome," Fubuki said appreciatively, shoving a croquette in her mouth.

Michito smiled. "Thank you," she said.

Jirou looked a little surprised. "It's okay for her to swear like that?"

Michito shrugged. "If I had a choice, I suppose I would prefer that Fubuki not swear. But honestly, I have more important things to worry about where her well-being is concerned. I'm more interested in making sure that she has friends and some kind of prospects for her future."

"Like what? Cram school?" Jirou asked skeptically.

Fubuki snorted. "Like you could get me within 50 feet of a cram school," she interjected.

"No," Michito said. "Fubuki's mother has, at various times, spoken about wanting Fubuki to get into a prestigious college. But I know that such an expectation is really not in line with Fubuki's personality or her interests. I was thinking a technical college might be more reasonable."

Jirou grinned. "Well, Fubuki? Can you see yourself in a tech school?"

Fubuki shrugged. "Sure, why the fuck not," she said. Jirou looked contemplatively at Michito, who ate her meal fastidiously and seemed resigned to Fubuki's bad manners.

"Your mom might suck, Fubuki," he said, "but Michito takes better care of you than all of our shitty-ass parents combined."

Fubuki looked at the passive Michito. "Yeah," she agreed. "That's probably true."

* * *

Yamiko sighed as she walked down the hallway at Goban. She looked down at her cell phone sadly; Kane hadn't called her once since the youma's attack. He had said he would take her to lunch yesterday, but he had never shown up. Yamiko had brought her lunch anyway, expecting to give it away to Seisui, but as 12:30 turned into 12:45, she realized he wasn't coming. She had eaten her lunch in miserable silence.

It's true, they weren't dating or anything crazy like that. And it was entirely logical that maybe he just needed to recuperate after being attacked. But they had gotten pretty close, and after such a harrowing incident she had hoped he would call and say something about it. Tell her he wasn't coming to lunch, at least. Yamiko felt a little disgusted at herself as she realized she was hoping to be somehow reassured that he hadn't become scared of her. Of what she was mixed up in. She looked down at the shiny, black pearlescent buttons of her cell phone, and, swallowing her fear, called Kane.

the phone rang and rang. "Sorry! I'm not around," his answering machine announced. "You'll have to console yourself with--"

Yamiko hung up. Her heart was practically in her mouth. She couldn't bring herself to leave a message. She paused for a moment, glancing out the window. Sighing, she went into her phone's text menu and started punching away. She asked him he was okay. If he wanted to talk to her. No...that sounded too desperate. Instead, she asked him if he was free to hang out or if he wanted to chat and hit the send button.

Before, she couldn't get rid of him. Whatever happened to that problem?

"Hey!" Tokimo said, dropping her head in front of Yamiko. Yamiko jumped what felt like a mile as Tokimo craned her neck over Yamiko's cell phone. "Who ya texting?"

"None of your business," she said evasively.

"Hmmm," Tokimo said thoughtfully. "Your boyfriend?"

Yamiko blushed. "I don't have a boyfriend," she said.

Tokimo grinned. "Yeah, but you wish he was your boyfriend," she said. "I can tell by the fact that you're redder than a pickled plum."

"What do you want?" Yamiko asked, annoyed.

"You look upset. Is he being mean to you? I could beat him up for you. It'll only cost you one item from your lunchbox. And I won't take the dessert, I promise."

"I don't want you to beat him up!" Yamiko said, disgusted and alarmed. "He's been beat up enough already...no thanks to all this senshi crap."

Tokimo thought for a minute. "So it is that guy from yesterday," she said. "Thought so. What's his name...?"

"Kane," she said. "Kane Amano." They were silent for a minute.

"Do you think he hates you because he's gotten attacked twice?"

Yamiko bit her lip. She was _not_ going to cry in front of Tokimo. No. Fucking. Way. "Even if he doesn't, at this rate, if I really like him I'm beginning to think I'd be best off ignoring him, too. If he did start dating me, he'd probably be dead within a week. Things haven't exactly gone smoothly as my friend as far as his health is concerned."

"If he really likes you, he won't care about the danger." Tokimo turned away and looked a little misty eyed. "True love overcomes all obstacles!"

"Yeah well," Yamiko said, glancing down at her phone, "I can think of a couple it can't."

"Like what?" Tokimo said challengingly.

"Death," Yamiko replied, turning away and walking down the hall.

"He's not dead yet, Yamiko," Tokimo said after her. "And if he really loves you, he won't ignore you 'till he is! Just you wait--I'll set him straight!"

* * *

Erik watched Seisui as she sat on the periphery of a discussion group. They were reading _Brave New World_ by Aldous Huxley, but most of the students were ignoring her--except for Tokimo, of course, who was basically grilling her for answers. Erik didn't really think Tokimo saw herself as using her friend, just needing liberal doses of help, but he already suspected Seisui tended to think of herself as being used. Especially right now.

And honestly, _Brave New World_ was probably not the best book to assign to her right now.

"Seisui," he said casually, walking up to her discussion group. The other students glanced toward him and then quickly lost interest. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Seisui put down her book and stood up, following him as he walked back to the teacher's desk. "I was wondering if you would be interested in reading something a little more advanced than the rest of the class, since your English skills are considerably better," he said.

"Sure," Seisui replied somewhat disinterestedly. "Like what?"

Erik pulled a volume out of a small, wooden box he carried with him to most of his classes. It was a copy of _Jane Eyre_, a book that was considerably harder linguistically, but spoke more of hope and love than the dark, superficial dystopia of Huxley's novel.

Seisui stared at the cover. "What's it about?" she asked.

"It's about a woman who is born hated and destitute, but changes her fortune," Erik says. "There's a strong romantic element in it, too. A lot of girls like it."

Seisui looked at it, a little dubious. "Okay, whatever," she said. "What do you want me to do now?"

"You can just read for the rest of class. Write a three-page response paper for your assignment."

"Okay," Seisui replied, bringing the book over to her desk and flipping it open.

"What's Erik want, huh?" Tokimo asked, sitting on top of Seisui's desk.

"He wants me to read this harder book," Seisui said, holding up the novel.

"Aw...so you won't be able to help me with this boring thing anymore?" Tokimo said, waving the Huxley novel around unenthusiastically.

Seisui smiled. "I can still help you," she replied, "Just not as much. You'll have to do more than skim the pages like you've been doing."

"Fudge-sickles," she said, sighing. "I hate this dumb book. It's depressing and stupid. If I wanted to know more about a world where people take happy drugs and solve all their emotional problems with dumb distractions, I'd just move to the Crystal Palace."

The other members of their discussion group looked at Tokimo, a little taken aback.

"--where I'm sure they have a much, um, bigger collection of books on that topic," she amended. The students raised their eyebrows or shook their heads, but said nothing.

Seisui chuckled. "Well, hopefully I'll be better off with _Jane Eyre_ than you are with _Brave New World_."

"Couldn't be any worse," Tokimo said.

* * *

Eros watched his mirror in panic as Tokimo ran heedlessly to the school's VR consoles, no doubt with every intention of finding Kane's listed address. "No..." he muttered. Although he had a fake address--even a fake home--for his alter ego, he wasn't worried about Tokimo being suspicious of Kane. He was worried that Coeus would find out that Tokimo was looking for him and see it as an ideal opportunity to bring Yamiko into...

...into this.

"Well, Kane," Coeus said, standing in the doorway. "You final chance is coming. It's only a matter of time before Tokimo makes it to Kane's house. If he's there, I'm sure she'd be happy to call--or should I say lure--Yamiko there as well."

"I'll be there," Eros said dully. "Don't worry."

"Good," Coeus said, smirking self-assuredly. "I suppose I'll be going then. If you're a man of your word, as you ever have been, there will be no need for me in Tokyo."

"There never has been," Eros replied, "there or anywhere else."

Coeus frowned. He left Eros' room, scowling at a tasteless putti that adorned a nearby table. Like so many other surfaces in Eros' room, it was strewn with portraits of dead lovers. He slammed the door behind him as he left Eros' outlandishly Rococo quarters.

"What will we do, brother?" a placid voice asked from beside him. Coeus turned toward Mauros, who had been waiting for him outside Eros' room. His brother's hair was, as always, in tangles; it hung down to his knees in knots and twists. His dark gray jacket was similarly long and wrinkled.

"There's no way Eros will make good on his word. We will destroy him, and Yamiko, when he goes to Kane's mansion."

"Will I get to show them my shadow friends?" he asked.

"Of course," Coeus said. "And these senshi will be much more fun than the other ones you've played with."

"But I don't want to leave the old senshi," he said sadly. "I had a lot of fun playing."

"You'll just have to make new senshi friends, Mauros," Coeus snapped, "And like it."

"It's okay," he said, his voice almost apologetic. He tugged nervously on his hair. "It's okay. I'll always have my shadow friends, anyway. So they can keep me company, even if I have to leave all the senshi I meet."

Coeus just shrugged and walked past his brother; Mauros followed closely behind his blue-haired sibling, looking like a bewildered dog that follows its put-upon master.

* * *

"You weren't here for your first meet," she said, looking disapprovingly at Natsuko. The track team's club leader was tall and predictably lithe, her hair cut in the short bob that was practically part of the track team uniform.

Natsuko sighed. "I know. I'm really sorry, Hitomi. It's just, yesterday I--"

"You what? You don't look like you've broken a leg or anything, and you were at school, so it couldn't have been something that took up too much of your time."

"I had a big test, and I begged her to help me out," Akiko interjected from behind her older sister. Hitomi looked toward Akiko, surprised and little disgusted.

Natsuko glanced at Akiko. She had not expected her sister to show up here. She just prayed she hadn't brought the other two.

"You should study alone," Hitomi said disapprovingly, "instead of relying on your friend."

"We're family," Akiko said. "Anyway, to make it up to you, I'm joining the track team, too."

Hitomi looked even more disgusted, if such a thing was possible. "What makes you think that your joining the track team is such a wonderful thing to me? If your record in academics is any baseline for comparison, you'll just be bringing the team down."

"I will not, and I'm prepared to prove it!" Akiko retorted. Natsuko just looked on, a little confused.

"Fine," Hitomi retorted. "Run the track, and I'll time you."

Akiko grinned and ran to the locker room to change into her gym clothes. When she came back, her hair was tied back in a considerably more manageable and modest style, a simple braid with a gold and red tie. "All right," she said. "I'll show you."

"Well then," Hitomi replied, prepping her stopwatch as Akiko stepped up to the track. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" she shouted. Akiko was immediately off as Hitomi looked down at her timer. Natsuko watched, impressed, as Akiko kept a steady pace. She would have thought that Akiko would barrel forward with reckless abandon, foolishly hoping to break a record. Natsuko herself had overtaxed herself during her tryout, running too fast for the long 3,000 meter haul and slowing herself to a snail's pace at the end of the run. She also hadn't thought to take down her rather cumbersome hairstyle. Natsuko frowned. In the future, that might be an area where it would be good to follow her sibling's lead.

When Akiko finished the run, she was panting heavily.

"How did I do?" for all her seeming confidence before she began, Natsuko could tell that Akiko was nervous. She fingered the end of her braid as Hitomi frowned thoughtfully.

"Not badly," she said at last. "13:20:03. Good--for a beginner."

"So can I--er, am I going to join track team?"

"Yes," Hitomi replied. "If you show up," she added, glancing warningly at Natsuko. "Now get dressed, Natsuko. Everyone will be showing up soon--and from now on I expect you to pull your weight."

"Of course, Hitomi." She said, then added more sincerely, "I really did mean to make it yesterday. track team is _important_ to _me._" She glanced at Akiko, an annoyed look on her face as she headed toward the locker room.

"I'll go with you," Akiko said, following after Natsuko. "I could do with washing off my face a bit." She quickened her pace, catching up to her green-haired sister.

"Akiko!" Natsuko snapped, looking toward a craftily smiling Akiko. "What the hell were you thinking? I wanted to join track team to find myself. I didn't want this to become another--" she looked away from Akiko toward the city beyond. "--Quartet picnic."

Akiko shrugged. "I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I figure if you can find yourself by doing track and field, maybe I can, too."

"You can't find yourself by copying someone!" Natsuko snapped. "That's against the point!"

"I know, but..." Akiko frowned. "I don't really have any ideas for myself, either."

"Well, you're Sailor Vesta. You should join the cooking club."

"Do I look like I belong in a cooking club?" She snapped in irritation.

Natsuko smiled self-consciously. "Well...you're sort of like Mistress Rei. Maybe you could take up a spiritual practice?"

"Do I look spiritual to _you_?" Akiko asked.

Natsuko looked at her friend critically. "Maybe?"

Akiko scoffed. "I might join a different club, but for right now, I don't have any better ideas. So you're stuck with me."

"Hmmm," Natsuko paused. "Maybe you should volunteer at the animal shelter--what is it called?--Ark, I think."

"What?" Akiko said, a little surprised.

"You used to--well, we don't talk much about the old days, but you were an animal trainer."

"Yeah, with _whips_. Trust me--I know from experience that that is no way to treat an animal."

"Well, obviously. But it doesn't have to be that way. You could help animals, instead of hurting them. Y'know, help make up for your mistakes and all that jazz. Plus, animals are cute."

"I don't do cute!" Akiko growled. "Besides..." she frowned, her voice taking on a more somber note. "I'm not sure I trust myself around animals. Zirconia trained me to teach animals that way. I'm afraid that old habits might die hard."

"Are you still going around creating havoc for the Sailor Senshi?" Natsuko quipped. Akiko stuck out her tongue. "If you don't want to hurt the animals, I'm sure you won't."

"You just want to get rid of me."

Natsuko smiled. "Maybe," she said. "All the same, I think you would be better off doing something that you care about."

"Hmph."

"Think about it," Natsuko said seriously.

* * *

Mayumi almost felt sick as she saw Shin'ichiro waiting for her at the entrance of TA Girls school. The more she talked to him, the less she liked him. Which sucked, because in a month she would be spending a whole lot of time with him on tour in the USA--and her father made it perfectly clear she had no choice in the matter. He was talking to two blonde-haired girls with great enthusiasm as she approached him.

"Mayumi," he said gregariously, sweeping his long, burgundy hair back from his face and promptly ignoring his previous conversation partners. He wore a dark, navy blue suit with a matching striped tie. She could see the rest of the girls of TA eyeing her enviously as they left the schoolyard and headed for the front gate. The two blonde girls looked at Mayumi with unnervingly apparent hatred. "I was waiting for you. I thought you might like to drive home in my Ferrari."

Mayumi frowned at the decadent car. It's 'streamlined,' flat styling made it look, to her, like it had been smushed before going out to the lot. "Thanks, but no thanks," she said. "I was thinking I'd like to take a walk before I head home."

"Then I'll come with you," Shin'ichiro said. "I wouldn't dream of allowing a young lady to walk alone."

Mayumi frowned. "Yeah-huh. Because it's so dangerous in this neighborhood." Shin'ichiro was unsure if he should take her words seriously. Mayumi just sighed and started walking.

"Would you like to go shopping?" he asked. "I'm sure you'll want the latest fashions for your tour."

"No," Mayumi replied. "I don't need any new clothes. I have too many already."

"Would you like to go to a café? Get some sweets, perhaps?"

Mayumi paused. Sweets... "Maybe a bakery?" she suggested. "I don't feel like sitting down and eating a meal right now."

"Of course," he said, turning a corner toward a lane of shops. Mayumi followed behind him as he entered a quaint bakery, a quiet bell jingling behind them.

"Welcome," the sales clerk said. "What can I get for you?"

Mayumi shuffled happily up to the window where numerous sweets were displayed. "I'll have three cream horns, two eclairs, five cream puffs...hmmm..." she paused, looking over the window some more. "So hard to choose! Well, three blueberry tartlets, two cups of creme brulée and two raspberry pillows."

Shin'ichiro stared at Mayumi in horror. Where did she put it all? The sales clerk looked a little bemused but didn't seem as surprised as Shin'ichiro would have expected.

He looked a little taken aback as the clerk rang up the pastries and told him the price, but obediently pulled out his wallet and paid. She packed up the pastries in a insulated package and tied them in a cherry-printed wrap.

"Thanks, Shin'ichiro," Mayumi said sweetly, taking the pastries.

"Of course," he said kindly, staring at the reflection of the sun against Mayumi's silver hair. "Here, let me take th--"

"All right, let's go," she said, leaving the store and continuing to walk down the street. She glanced back quickly at Shin'ichiro and then walked as fast as she could around a corner and through a crowd of high schoolers on their way from class. Thankfully, she was in a rich enough neighborhood that no one was likely to accost her for an autograph, even if they recognized her. Shuffling quickly down another side street, she ended up at a long avenue of mansions lined with cherry trees sprouting their leaves. Sitting down on a bench was a tall, spindly figure, dressed in a long tan trench coat. He was wearing jeans, and the trench coat was open, revealing a black t-shirt beneath. He looked a combination between sullen and spaced-out, not really paying attention to where he was or what he was doing. The most remarkable thing about him wasn't even his fair, western skin, though that was uncommon enough. It was his hair. It was the longest hair Mayumi had ever seen; it was chestnut brown and held back in a loose ponytail, and it reached down past his knees. Mayumi hadn't even known people's hair could get that long. She thought there was like, some kind of genetic thing that kept it short. Or something.

"Hello," Mayumi said. He looked up, his expression almost like that of a scared animal. "What's your name?" Mayumi spoke in a quiet voice, almost like talking to dog. She thought maybe this guy was a few cards short of a deck, but there was something very compelling about him. Like a sad puppy.

"Um," he said awkwardly. "My brother said I shouldn't tell strangers my name."

"Well, I'll tell you my name anyway. It's Mayumi. Mayumi Hatsuhara. My sign is Sagittarius. And my favorite food is Skittles. What's your favorite food?"

He looked at her a little blankly. "I've never eaten food before."

Mayumi frowned. "Wow, really? That's...." Mayumi almost said 'awful,' but she didn't want to sound insultingly pitying, which her father had warned her about when dealing with poor people. "Here, I have a whole bunch of pastries here. Let's have some."

He looked at the box a little hesitantly. "It doesn't look very tasty."

Mayumi laughed. "No, this is the box, silly! The pastries are inside." She sat down on the bench next to him. The man looked a little bewildered as Mayumi opened the box and pulled out a cream horn, handing it to Mauros. "This is a cream horn. It's my favorite. Try it!"

"Okay," he said, biting on the confection. He began chomping it down at an alarming rate, licking the cream from around his mouth when it smushed out of its pastry shell. Mayumi handed him a napkin and then he tried biting on that too. He frowned in disgust.

"That's for wiping your mouth, silly. You don't eat that."

"Oh." He wiped the cream from his mouth and stared expectantly at Mayumi.

"Did you like it okay?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "It was very good."

"Why are you sitting here all alone? Where's your brother?"

"He's looking for Kane. But I'm not supposed to talk about it," he replied.

"It's okay," Mayumi said. "You can trust me. By the way, what's your name again?"

"Mauros," he replied. "I mean--uh....what's the Japanese word for 'black'?"

"Kuro," Mayumi obediently replied.

"Right. Kuro. That was it."

"Do you come here often, Kuro?" Mayumi asked. "Or are you just here because you're looking for Kane?" That name sounded familiar. Hm.

"Just because of Kane."

"You should come here after school every day," Mayumi said. "We could hang out."

"...Like friends?" Mauros asked.

"Of course!" Mayumi replied. "Aren't we already friends?" Mauros grinned happily.

"Mayumi," Shin'ichiro said, running up to her. "I was looking everywhere for you! You shouldn't just run off like that. Who knows what could happen to someone famous like you? Someone might see a good opportunity for a kidnapping."

"I'm not a little kid," Mayumi said. "And trust me, if someone tried to kidnap me, I'd make them think twice about it."

Shin'ichiro put his hands on his hips. "With what? Your extensive knowledge of judo? You couldn't stand up for yourself in a fight and you know it."

Mayumi frowned and narrowed her eyes. "You might be surprised," she said cryptically.

"Anyway, is this creep bothering you?" He looked at Mauros. "Get lost, weirdo."

"I was the one talking to him, not the other way around!" Mayumi said. "And don't call him a weirdo. He's cute. I like him. And he doesn't even try to buy his way into my heart!" Mayumi shouted. Shin'ichiro looked at her dumbly; Mayumi blushed and turned away, looking toward the ground. Her father would not be pleased if he heard about this. "Look, I'm sorry, Shin'ichiro. But I was just...Kuro looked lonely and I didn't have anywhere to be, so I thought I would hang out. So please don't accuse him of anything." Mayumi put the lid back on the pastry box and tied it back together. "Come on, Shin'ichiro, let's head back to your car and you can take me home."

"The cream horn was nice," Mauros said.

"Thank you, Kuro," Mayumi said with a smile. Shin'ichiro was not pleased at her enthusiastic reaction or her lightly blushing cheeks.

"Come on," he said curtly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away.

"Bye Kuro," she said.

"Bye bye," he wistfully replied.

* * *

"So," Fuyuko said excitedly, "since I roped you into this, you should choose the first game." The clubroom was filled with the gentle clicking of game pieces against boards and tables.

"We can play fidchell," Kazeko suggested timidly.

"Ooo...what's that? I've never heard of it. I wanna play!"

Kazeko drew the board on a piece of paper and swiped some black and white pieces from an unused chess set. "I'll bring a real set next time," she said. "Basically, the idea is to get the High King, in the middle, to the outside edge. You try to stop me from doing that. So it's a little like chess."

"Hmm...really. Tell me more!"

Kazeko went on to explain all of the rules of the game, showing Fuyuko a few moves while she was at it. Fuyuko may have seemed like a ditz, between the oddball hairstyle and her somewhat off-kilter personality, but she wasn't. She picked up the rules very quickly, and when they started playing, Fuyuko was almost keeping up with her. "Have you played many board games before?"

"Some," Fuyuko said. "It was a bummer because the rest of the quartet would never play with me. Akiko and Natsuko both always said they were boring, and Haruko hates losing, so she stopped playing pretty quickly too. So most of the time I played by myself."

"I used to play with--" Kazeko stopped, frowning, as she thought of Ian.

"With who?" Fuyuko prompted.

"My brother," Kazeko said quietly, glancing around the room. She didn't think that the COP would have undercover agents this far afield, but she didn't want to make any bets.

"Did something..." Fuyuko dropped her voice to a whisper. "Happen to him?"

Kazeko bit her lip. "There was...an incident. But...I....I d-don't like to talk about it."

"Well, you're a Sailor Senshi, I'm a Sailor Senshi...I'm sure there's something we could do."

"Can you go back in time?" Kazeko asked, half-joking.

"No, but Sailor Pluto can," Fuyuko suggested helpfully.

"I don't think she'd be willing to change the past to suit my personal desires," Kazeko replied. "And even if she was, I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Did you lose someone?" Fuyuko asked. Kazeko just looked sad for a long time. Eventually she played her next move. "Well?" Fuyuko persisted, moving back.

"I did," she said. "I lost...I--" she put a hand on her forehead, shading her eyes. "I lost everyone."

Fuyuko frowned and looked thoughtful. "Well, you have friends now, right?"

Kazeko looked a little lost. Could she really consider Seisui and Tokimo friends? She wasn't sure. Seisui trusted her, though--she was perhaps the only person that Seisui trusted right now. "Yes," Kazeko replied. "Seisui is my friend. And Tokimo is too, although I think Tokimo is friends with just about anyone who will let her."

"Good," Fuyuko said. "And we can hang out in club together now, too. I know it won't change the past, but...maybe it's not all over, you know?"

"Maybe," Kazeko said, though she was not sure she believed it.

* * *

"So," Kouken asked, "Is this it? Kane's house?"

Tokimo glanced down at her cell phone, which had a map indicating the location of Kane's house. It was only about a block away from Fubuki's, she noted with interest. "Yup. That's what the VR con said." In front of them was a tall, stately house, made of what looked like stone. It had a circular partition and a huge porch. Plus a garden--with lots and lots of rose plants, more roses than Tokimo had ever seen in one place. Most of them were just starting to bud, but even with the few in full bloom, there was a powerfully lovely aroma wafting through the air.

"It looks like a castle," he remarked. "Or a church."

"It looks like the the kind of doll house Yamiko woulda owned as a kid," Tokimo agreed. "I bet she had one just like it. With 21st-century style loligoth dolls and everything." Kouken really couldn't think of an appropriate response to this, so he said nothing.

Tokimo walked up to the large, mahogany colored door and pounded loudly with the intricate, vine motif-styled knocker.

No answer. She pounded again, and when the answer was similarly quiet, she tried the doorknob. It was open, and Tokimo decided to take that as an invitation.

"Whoa, wait!" Kouken said, stopping Tokimo midway through opening the door. "You can't just barge into someone's house!"

"Sure I can," Tokimo replied. "I'm doing it right now. See?" she said, entering the house and ignoring Kouken's protestations.

Inside, the house was dark and empty. There was expensive furniture and everything was sparklingly clean.

"It looks abandoned," Tokimo murmured.

"It's too clean," Kouken replied. "An abandoned house would be dusty. They're probably just out."

"Yeah, but there's no stuff," Tokimo said. "People's houses have stuff lying around. Like coats on the hangers, or papers on the table."

"Not everyone is as messy as you," Kouken retorted.

"Oh yeah? We'll try the study," she said, walking into a huge living room and trying a door. Good guess; there study was right there. Sure enough, an ebony table was clean and free of any actual signs of work--there were no papers on the desk, not even a desk calendar.

"Someone could pick up after them."

"If there were servants," Tokimo said, continuing around the maze of the house and peeking in rooms, "They'd be here. And don't tell me that they're just extra-neat. If I know anything from watching TV, it's that nobody in an office leaves their desk totally clean. No, if Tokimo Joshi--master spy--knows anything, it's that there's something very fishy going on--"

"Tokimo."

Tokimo almost jumped out of her skin. She turned to see Kane standing in the door to a bathroom. "Kane!" she said. "I gotta talk to you--"

"I know," he said. "You're going to take me to task for not showing up for lunch yesterday. Tokimo, you must leave this place right away. And you must tell Yamiko that I can't see her anymore."

"What? That's stupid, you--"

"Tokimo!" he said, his voice urgent, almost paranoid. "There's no time for lectures. It's too late for any of that. Tell Yamiko..." he paused. "Tell her that I just wanted to marry her for her family's fortune. She will believe that."

"But that's horrible! And I can tell it's not true. Your face has that feeling all over it--um, guilt?"

"Regret," Kane corrected her.

"Right," she said. "Even if you did start talking to her for her money, It's not true anymore, right? You love Yamiko, don't you?"

Kane looked defeated. "I--"

"Look, don't tell it to me," Tokimo replied. "If you have something to say, say it to Yamiko." With that, she pulled out her watch and typed in 'Phoebe.'

"Yamiko," she said as a rather defeated looking Yamiko appeared on the screen. "Kane is here, and he has some stuff to say to you." Tokimo glanced up as Kane lunged toward her arm; she hung up on Yamiko before Kane could get a chance to get a word in edgewise.

"You fool!" he snapped. "That's exactly what Coeus will want! If she comes here--" he shook his head. "I have to leave."

"You're not going anywhere!" Tokimo replied. "Charon prism power, make up!" she cried as her fuku formed around her.

"Charon," Kouken shouted, disgusted, "What are you--"

"Space-time blast!"

Kane fell backward into the bathroom as he was consumed by nausea. He wasn't sure exactly what was happening, and he didn't currently have the presence of mind to think about it.

* * *

"I can't believe those three," Haruko said disapprovingly, looking sullenly toward the sidewalk as she walked through the school gates with Hiroshi and Usako. "We're supposed to stick together."

"They deserve to have lives of their own, Haruko," Usako said. "Why don't you try a hobby?"

"My hobby is protecting you, Usako," she said. "That's the onlyhobby I need."

"What about gardening club?" Diana suggested.

"I think that's a good idea," Hiroshi agreed. "You should join, Haruko."

"I have a duty, He--Hiroshi!" she snapped. "And unlike you, I don't abandon it for my personal satisfaction!"

Hiroshi frowned. "I once felt that way, Haruko, but I realized...being a person of my own is important, too."

"You're just being bitter because the Quartet has always relied on you, and now they're not doing everything you say," Usako said angrily.

Haruko looked ready to say something. "Stop it, both of you," Hiroshi interrupted. "You're saying things you don't mean. Usako, I'm not mad at Haruko. And Haruko, Usako may have spoken too harshly, but I think it may be true that you're feeling a little abandoned. I can understand that; you four have always been inseparable. But just because they're trying to find themselves doesn't mean they don't care about you anymore. I think you should follow Natsuko's lead. Rather than seeing this as a betrayal, see it as an invitation to explore your life outside of being a sailor senshi."

"I don't have a life outside of being a senshi," she replied. "This is my life. _Our_ life."

"You only say that because you haven't been at it for very long. Trust me, after a few years when you've actually been fighting the enemy, having something that resembles normalcy is all you want," Usako replied.

"Well, this school isn't giving us much of that. Not if the Moon Senshi are any indication."

"There's no point in going off on another tirade about the Moon Senshi," Hiroshi said. "We all know they--" He stopped as he looked toward Haruko. She was looking sullenly away from them, toward the wall; Hiroshi almost thought he saw her shaking a little. "What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.

"When I think back to this time last year," she said, her voice wavering a little, "Everything was so different. It makes me angry, how they have changed things. Who are they to come into our lives and ruin the peace we fought so hard for? You're always defending them, Usako, but when I look at them..." she turned toward Chibi-Usa. "They're just petty jerks. We don't owe them anything."

"I didn't owe you anything, either, Haruko. But I still saved you, because you deserved another chance."

Haruko looked back toward the school; Hotaru was standing there, her expression calm. Behind her stood the three other Quartet members, and Kazeko. Haruko thought she remembered Kazeko saying she was a Moon Senshi at that meeting they had had once. "Hotaru, what--"

"Listen. You must have patience, Haruko. The Moon Senshi are young senshi, even younger than you, and they have a dark history to contend with. Their misdeeds are not half of yours or mine, so it would be wise not to judge them too harshly."

Haruko frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Erik has had a premonition. There is danger afoot and he has asked us go to ahead of him."

"Why?" she asked. She couldn't help but be a little suspicious of Erik's intentions in sending them into danger ahead of himself.

"Seisui is trying to go, and he must convince her not to at all costs. That will take awhile, since Seisui isn't exactly known for being compliant," Hotaru explained.

"And why shouldn't she help?" Haruko asked.

"Don't play dumb, Haruko," Usako said. "We both know she's been having trouble transforming."

"Even if she can transform, her control of her guardian is very poor," Kazeko said. "There's no guarantee she could make a sustained attack."

Haruko shrugged. "I suppose you're right," she admitted reluctantly.

"There's no more time to lose with our talk," Hotaru said. "Let's go."

"Be careful!" Diana shouted as they ran off.

* * *

"What do you mean I'm not coming?" Seisui said angrily, glaring at Erik. "You're not my father. This decision isn't yours to make."

"Seisui, this is going to be very dangerous."

"You don't know that," she retorted. "And even if you did, I invaded the Crystal Palace itself--when I was outnumbered by all of the senshi. I think I can handle myself against a youma or two. Especially with the do-gooder brigade there."

"I have a feeling this is a lot more dangerous than that," Erik said. "And, well, Seisui..." he looked down at her awkwardly. "Recently, you've been having trouble with your powers. I don't want you in harm's way."

"Why should you care? At best, I'm just another Moon Senshi to you. You don't care about me any more than any of the others. And at worst," she added, "I'm someone that gets in your way, a psychopathic killing machine that you constantly have to stop."

Erik looked a little taken aback. "Is that really how you think I think of you?" he paused. "Listen, Seisui...I really do care about you, about the Moon Senshi. It's true that we haven't always had the same goals in mind, but I have never thought of you as a nuisance. And I've certainly never thought of you as a psychopath."

"You really care about me?" Seisui scoffed. "Don't make me laugh, Erik. It's part of your oath to 'really care' about all of the senshi. You'd care about a stone if it had a sailor collar." she smirked ironically. "Maybe I should take back that comment about my father. You share an awful lot in common with him."

Erik looked stricken. "Seisui, that's--"

"What can you possibly say? If you disagree with me, you're breaking your Knight's Code, aren't you?"

"Well, I..." he looked a little lost. "Listen, Seisui...when it comes down to it, my duty as a knight is to protect you, no matter what senshi you are. But the truth is, you mean more to me than just any senshi. I think we have a lot in common, I...I'd like to be someone you can count on."

"I'm not sure I can count on anyone," Seisui said. "It hasn't worked that well for me in the past."

"I've often felt the same way," Erik replied, looking down at the floor. "Sometimes it seems like the people you've come to trust are either all too willing to abandon you, or as ephemeral as the blossoms on cherry trees. Still...what point is there to being alive, if we don't have the chance to find someone?" He looked back toward her, realizing somewhat sheepishly that he had been talking as much, or more, to himself than her.

"Hmph," Seisui replied rather lamely. "Even if I can trust you, and even if I do mean more to you than any other Moon Senshi, it's not your decision whether I go or not."

Erik paused. "You're right," he admitted. "It's true that I can't stop you. But I wish you wouldn't go. Listen, Seisui. After this is over, I'll work with you to try and get your powers back."

"Kazeko couldn't do it...I don't see why you should be any more successful."

"I've spent a lot of time honing myself mentally and physically. Kazeko is spiritually powerful, but I doubt she has as much martial prowess."

Seisui sighed.

"There's nothing wrong with taking the time you need to become strong again," he said. "Isn't it better to hone yourself and become a better warrior before you put your life on the line?"

"Fine," she said, relenting. "I'll stay this time."

"Thank you, Seisui," Erik said with deep sincerity.

* * *

"Yamiko," Tokimo said, "Kane is here, and he has some stuff to say to you."

Her face fizzled out abruptly. By "here" she sort of had to assume Kane's house, which Tokimo had announced her intention to find earlier in the day. Where _that_ was, she wasn't entirely sure. She pulled out her cell phone and navigated to the internet phone book, punching Kane's name into the search bar. A short wait caused his name to pop up on the screen, address and corresponding map right below it.

It took awhile to navigate through the streets and find Kane's house. It was a strange house; it looked almost like a gothic building from Germany had been picked up and supplanted into Crystal Tokyo. She nervously knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Tokimo loudly shouted. Yamiko walked into the house and looked around confusedly.

"This way," Kouken said, running up to Yamiko. As soon as she saw him, he turned back and made his way into the mansion. Yamiko followed quickly behind.

She was surprised and not a little alarmed to see Tokimo had transformed into Sailor Charon; she seemed to be sustaining a space-time blast, and as Yamiko approached closer, she could see that Kane was in a nearby bathroom, bent over a toilet, and apparently sick out of his mind.

"Charon!" Yamiko shouted, glancing angrily at her as she ran to Kane's side. "What in Serenity's name were you thinking?"

"Oh, there you are," she said from where she was standing in the hallway. The attack dissolved. "Now you can talk it out with Kane."

Before Yamiko could utter a word, Kane was wrenched off of the floor and into the air. A tall man materialized in the bathtub in front of her and held Kane in the air by his collar. The man's hair was deep blue, and his clothes were a light blue, almost periwinkle color. They were not unlike Helios' vestments; he wore a tailcoat with translucent sleeves and a high, formal collar. The front of his jacket was studded with insignias shaped like the symbol of Mercury. He also had a teardrop on his forehead, but it pointed downward. Yamiko did not take that as a good sign.

"Run, Yamiko!" Kane shouted.

"Are you crazy, Kane?" She said. "I won't run away any longer. Especially not from the people I care about. Phoebe prism power, make up!" As Yamiko was enveloped in shadow, she transformed into Sailor Phoebe.

The man laughed. "Oh, _Kane_," he said with sarcastic emphasis. "How well things have gone for you. I have to apologize; I was quite derisive toward you, but I will give you this. You have made her fall for you. Mauros!"

"Yes, brother?" a placid voice replied. Behind Charon appeared another priest with exceedingly long hair; it streamed around his shoulders and down his back, past his knees. He wore a long, almost trench-coat like robe of dark gray that was closed from the top of his high collar to its bottom by his ankles; his jacket, too, was studded with insignia, this time that of Pluto.

"Get rid of all this...stuff," he said indicating their surroundings. "It's in my way. I can't make things properly dramatic in such a tight space."

Charon frowned, looking toward the blue-haired man. "I'm gonna cut your show short, Megaman! Space Time Blast!" A bubble formed around him, but the blue-haired man had barely begun to pale before Mauros mumbled a few words to himself and the attack dissipated.

"Your attack is that of space-time," he remarked with some interest. "As fellow of Pluto, your attacks are easy for me to stop--and, they have no effect on me whatsoever."

"Oh yeah?" Charon said. "I bet this'll have an effect on you!" She turned around and swiped her naginata toward him. Mauros teleported again to the other side of Charon, standing in the doorway behind Phoebe.

"We can play soon," Mauros said. "First I have to do what brother says." He held out a hand and a huge war scythe appeared in his hands. He teleported further out into the hallway and swung the scythe around him; rather than being stopped by the building, the building dissolved around his blade. Soon the whole building was sinking into the ground. The bizarre thing was that it was almost like it was detached from reality; the floors and walls and furniture all moved through their bodies, past them, and into the ground. After only a few moments, the house was gone completely, leaving behind only a garden of roses and a large patch of dirt.

"Good job, Mauros," blue-haired said. "Now, where was I?"

"Please, Yamiko," Kane pleaded. "Please go. I'm begging you!"

"Oh yes!" The blue haired man said abruptly. "Kane. Sorry to say, Yamiko, you affection for Kane is a little misplaced. See," he said, throwing Kane into the ground, "The truth is, Kane isn't a real person at all."

"What?" Phoebe backed up clumsily, confused.

"Run away!" Kane said. He ran toward Pheobe, spreading his arms as if to grab her torso. Coeus held out his hand and Kane slumped unceremoniously to the ground once more. He struggled, as if trying to lift himself off the ground, but his efforts seemed to be futile.

"You're not going anywhere," he said. "Your girlfriend gets to find out the truth, whether you like it or not. Now where was I? Oh yes. The fact of the matter is," he continued, "Kane is just an identity that Eros assumed." Kane features dissolved; his wavy platinum hair melted into a straight burnished gold. His dark clothing became the priestly garments of Venus; and his once deep blue eyes turned a bright, saturated orange. "Really, there is no Kane at all. Eros was using you, planning to betray you all along, and then use the negative energy from his betrayal as power."

"You're lying!" Phoebe said. "This isn't Kane at all. You're just in this with Eros, trying to trick me into thinking Kane's betrayed me."

The blue-haired man looked a little dumbfounded. Then he laughed. "Oh! I wasn't expecting that. It's a good theory, I have to say. Almost more compelling than the truth, eh Eros?"

"Weren't you supposed to kill me?" he said bitterly. His face was a mask of misery. "Please, Phoebe, just get out of here."

"Hm," Coeus said. " This puts me in a bit of--"

"Coeus is telling the truth, Yamiko," Eros interrupted. "I am--was--really Kane. I was there when I went to you house, when we went to that grand party, even when--even when you let me sleep at your house overnight. You're probably better off believing that Kane was a real person, and that what Coeus said was a lie, but I've lied enough to you already. You deserve to know the truth."

"Why thank you, Eros," Coeus said happily. "You've saved me quite a lot of trouble."

"Go to hell," Eros sobbed. "Now please, just go, Yamiko. Leave, before he hurts you."

Sailor Phoebe was dumbfounded. She felt totally numb. Her sailor fuku dissolved as she was overwhelmed with a feeling of loss and confusion.

"Anyway," Coeus said, "Now that that's over with."

"Chaos Compass!" Charon shouted. Mauros' eyes widened and as Charon appeared next to Coeus--ready to strike--he appeared just behind her. He grabbed her roughly, hooking his arms in front of hers and hosting her in the air. Her naginata slipped out of her grasp and fell to the ground. Sailor Charon didn't bother transporting it back to her hand--it wouldn't do her much good right now.

"Brother doesn't like to play," he said.

"Let me go!" Charon shouted, struggling, but Mauros was deaf to her cries. With her arms bound, even Charon could not use her power. Coeus waved his hand and a huge, bizarre mechanical dog appeared next to Yamiko. Steam hissed from its joints and a mishmash of gears and pistons were visible throughout its body, making it look like someone had neglected to put the animal's skin on.

"Cage," Coeus said, and the dog rapidly deconstructed itself and formed a bizarre, bird cage-like structure around the catatonic Yamiko.

"What are you doing to Yamiko?!" Charon shouted. The cage began to hiss and steam even more than the dog had been, and Yamiko flopped onto the ground.

"Yamiko!" Eros shouted. "Charon, you have to do something! Save her! Coeus will drain the kakon out of her--if it keeps up at this rate, she'll die!"

"I can't! He has me pinned!" Charon shouted. She was still struggling desperately against Mauros' grasp. He was stronger than Charon would have expected.

"That reminds me," Coeus said. "Better take away your powers, too. We could use that Kakon back. Eros, priest of Aphrodite," he announced, "You have broken the contract of Nemesis by refusing to generate kakon, by protecting the Sailor Senshi of Phoebe from harm, and by generating agathon alongside her. You are hereby revoked of your power and privileges."

Eros said nothing as tears streamed down his cheeks. Slowly, a dark, curling smoke leaked from Eros' chest and curled up and around his body. "Charon," he whispered. "Please, please save her." As the last wisp of smoke left Eros' body and curled into the air above, he brought himself into an almost fetal position. "No..." he groaned. His body became vague and blurry, and soon where Eros stood was the huge figure of a swan. The only thing that identified him as the priest of Venus was the orange teardrop on his forehead and his eerie, bright orange eyes. He spread his wings, a huge span of eight feet, and then flopped over on the ground helplessly.

"Well," Coeus said, turning to Mauros, "You can play with Sailor Charon, now."

"Pink ladies freezing kiss!" Coeus jumped in shock as ice quickly overcame his body, freezing him in place. Sailor Luna stood before them, along with the Quartet, Helios, and Saturn. There was another Senshi as well, one Charon didn't recognize.

"Who are you?" Charon asked.

"Sailor Ariel," she replied. "You know me from school. You know, uh...the one you haven't seen transformed."

Coeus shattered the ice encasing him, sending it flying. "Using an ice attack on the Priest of Mercury...really, that's just plain stupid," he said.

"Boreal tempest!" Ariel shouted, bringing her arms together and twisting them so that they interlocked. A spiral of ice-cold air flew at Coeus. He cursed as his body was covered in bloody lacerations. His blue vestments were soaked with red in several places, and his clothing took on an odd, stiff appearance as the blood froze into his clothing and body.

"Perhaps you spoke a little too soon," Saturn remarked.

Mauros looked at his brother, alarmed and confused. "Brother, what should I do? You're hurt."

Charon knew an opportunity when she saw one. Mauros had slackened his grip ever so slightly while his attention was arrested. Hooking her own arms around the back of Mauros', she shifted her weight and slammed him in the stomach with her butt. As he began to keel over in discomfort, she braced her feet against the ground and her body against him and flipped him over her, slamming him into the ground. "Yeah!" she said triumphantly. "I kicked your ass, Charon-style!" Then she summoned her naginata once more, brandishing it at Mauros' fallen figure.

"Brother," Mauros said, "I will play with the sailor senshi. You don't want to, so you can go home, okay?"

"I think I shall," he said, and he disappeared. Mauros disappeared after him, but quickly reappeared, standing, in the midst of the sailor senshi; they seemed on edge and not entirely sure what to expect.

"There's a lot of you," Mauros remarked. "But it's okay. I brought plenty of friends to play." He held out his hand and the shadows of the Moon Senshi spiraled into a circle. In the center of the circle, a ring of shadow people appeared, faceless and formless, like a ring of cut paper dolls. Each of them had a very simplistic, almost stick-figure like expression on their face; a smile, a frown, a teary face...each one was a little different.

"Catch us if you can!" the one with a smiling face said jubilantly.

Sailor Saturn raised her glaive. "Death reborn revolution!" she cried, and countless ribbons streamed from her glaive and toward the shadow figures. The blade-like ribbons swept through the shadows, ripping apart their limbs and sliding through their bodies.

They quickly reformed, becoming whole once more; the holes mended, the limbs reattached. A wickedly smiling faced shadow turned toward Saturn. "Not so easy, we're quite tough--even strong attacks are not enough."

"Great," Juno said, "A rhyming youma. Feral charge!" Spears of bronze spiraled toward another shadow doll, but they, too, did nothing; the spears ripped through them but the shadow-doll quickly reformed.

This time, a smiling face turned toward Juno. "You'll have to try a different tack. Please give the game another crack!"

"Okay, new tactic!" Charon announced. Ignoring the youma, she ran toward Mauros and stabbed her naginata toward him.

Mauros deftly parried with his war scythe, smiling. "You can't get me," he said. "Brother says I'm the best."

"Maybe with one against you," Saturn replied, running behind him and swinging her glaive, "but is that still so with two?"

An angry face turned toward Charon and Saturn. "We won't let you hurt our father. We'll make ourselves a bloody bother!"

Two of the shadow dolls dropped from their ring in the center of the yard and into the ground, behaving in an entirely more shadow-like manner, slithering along the ground like a smooth, black snake.

"Saturn!" Sailor Luna cried. The shadow was quickly moving toward Saturn's own shadow, and one of the youma had already begun to overtake Charon's. "Shimmering crescent!" she cried, sending a volley of crescent-moon shaped blades flying into the ground at the shadow moving toward Hotaru. The shadow screamed and shredded into thousands of pieces, which blew up into the air like a tornado of black confetti.

"Ah!" Mauros cried in sorrow. "A friend is broken."

"Our fallen friend we will avenge; Charon's pain is our new pledge!" As the second shadow blended into Charon's own, it flew up into the air with innumerable burr-like hooks. The hooks fastened around Charon's body and pulled downward, pinning her to the ground. She screamed, writhing and twisting in pain.

A flurry of dark, iron rings flew through the air and landed into the shadow that held down Charon. The shadow let out a metallic scream and the burrs retreated into the darkness. Charon groaned as she crawled out of the shadow, which was struggling against the iron rings, trying to free itself. It was almost like an insect pinned to a display, or a postcard on a cork board.

"Are you okay, Charon?" the Crimson Eagle asked, holding an iron ring in one hand and resting the other on his sword's pommel. Ikkoku was silently perched in the trees nearby.

"No!" she said, pulling herself up with her naginata. Her body was covered in deep cuts. "That _hurt_!"

Helios kneeled and began to pray. A white mist brushed across Charon's body, and her wounds, though still visible, were little more than scratches.

"Thanks!" Tokimo said.

"Just doing my duty," Helios replied modestly.

"Boreal tempest!" Ariel cried. A cold gust of wind flew at the shadow; it stopped struggling for a moment, and then was torn apart into innumerable pieces.

"Another friend!" Mauros appeared upset. "It's not fair. I'm losing this g--" his words were broken off as Saturn swung her glaive at his face. Surprised, he blocked it with the handle of his war scythe. "You can't beat me, Sailor Saturn. I'm a better player at this game than you."

"You underestimate me!" she replied, parrying him as he aimed at her stomach.

"Daddy!" A shadow said, turning toward Mauros with a shocked expression plastered on it's face.

"Keep playing with the other Senshi," Mauros said, blocking another swipe from Saturn. "I'm playing with Saturn."

"We'll have to pick someone to kill; no matter who, it's quite a thrill!" the shadows spun around like a zoetrope until they faced Sailor Ceres. "We know you have a dark confession; share your pain or feel our aggression!"

"What?" Ceres said, confused.

"Confess! Confess! Confess!" A shadow cried, it's face a contorted mask of guilt and regret. It swooped into Ceres shadow and sent burrs around her. She screamed. "Your pretty self is all your care for! Others' needs you do abhor!"

"Ceres!" Pallas shouted. She looked momentarily panicked, but soon her face was filled with a calm certainty. "Arachne's lament!" she cried. A network of thin, blue threads reached out from her fingers and criss-crossed over the shadow youma. She pulled her hand backward and the youma was pulled from Ceres like a fish caught in a net.

"Shimmering crescent!" Sailor Luna cried; the shadow was torn into numberless pieces and dissolved. Sailor Ceres was covered in cuts, which were oozing blood.

"There's still four left," Helios remarked miserably.

"Catch us, catch us, if you can! You'd better make a better plan!"

"And that rhyming is so damn annoying!" Juno added.

"We're gonna have to rip 'em up completely for the attack to have a effect," Pallas remarked, frustrated.

"Freezing kiss," Vesta said. "It'll shatter them, and it's a big attack."

"I'll lend you all my power," Helios said.

"Can you handle it, Ceres?" Juno asked.

Ceres looked dismissive. "Of course I can." She winced a little as she said it.

"Pink ladies freezing kiss!" the five shouted. The shadow figures were encased in ice; as the last bit of them froze, they shattered into hundreds of pieces.

"No!" Mauros cried. "My friends! I've lost! They're all _gone_!" He turned away from Saturn and toward the dead shadow youma; Saturn ran up and swooped her glaive around Mauros' body, holding it up to his chin.

"Don't move," she said calmly. "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk!" he said. "I want to win." he pouted. "I'll have to play some other time." With those words, he disappeared.

"Ceres," Helios said, "let me heal you." He murmured words of prayer to himself and her wounds, like Charon's, were reduced to scratches.

"We have to get Yamiko out of there," Ceres remarked.

"Feral charge!" Juno cried. Sharply pointed, bronze-colored blades twisted around each other and hurdled toward the cage. They ripped apart the front of the cage as easily as if it were made of tin and disappeared before hitting Yamiko's slumped over form. Juno ran over to the cage and gingerly lifted her limp figure through the hole she had made in the metal bars. "She needs to be healed," Juno said. "Poor kid. I think we all know what it's like to be played for a sucker by some asshole of a villain." She glanced over at the swan.

"Asshole or not, we have to save him," Ceres replied. "The Queen's orders."

"I'll teleport him," Helios said. "Sailor Luna, you should come with me. He'll need to be healed enough to be functioning before we can get the three powers together."

"Right," she said. "First, though, we need to heal Yamiko." She held her hands above her and the pink crystal appeared between them. "Moon healing escalation!"

Yamiko groaned and opened her eyes. "What happened?"

"Come on, Yamiko," Charon said, her sailor fuku dissolving around her. "Let's get you home."

"I'll go with you," Kouken said, jumping out of the rose bushes and following behind Tokimo.

Yamiko said nothing as Tokimo led her along. She just silently sobbed. The sorrow that filled her overwhelmed even her sense of propriety.

* * *

Eros groaned as he opened his eyes. He slowly stood up, stretching his wings and craning his neck to see around him. He was in a long, wide room with a huge crystal chandelier; the walls were bright and translucent, and around him stood the Planetary Senshi, along with Queen Serenity, Sailor Luna, Helios, Endymion and the Sailor Quartet. The cats were there as well.

And, he realized, he was still a swan. A feeling of darkness crept over him as he remembered what had happened, where he had been. "Yamiko!" he shouted. It was a hollow, echoing version of his voice that came more from his soul than his mouth. "Is Yamiko all right?"

"That depends on how you define 'all right,'" Princess Juno replied. "She's alive and in one piece. But her heart has been broken into a billion pieces by some asshole."

"Not necessary," Sailor Luna interjected.

"Is bringing me here in aid of anything?" Eros interjected. "Otherwise, allow me to fulfill my intention of ending my miserable and useless life."

"Let me handle this," Princess Venus said. "He's _my_ priest, so he's _my _problem. Get out!" she said, motioning to the others.

Endymion looked a little taken back. "But Minako--"

"Out!" she repeated. "Except for you, Artemis. You can stay. Just don't interrupt too much."

"Thanks," he said dryly.

"Let her talk to him alone," Sailor Luna said. "She's right. Eros is the priest of Venus' holy land, so now that he's in one piece, it's up to her to make things right."

"Come on," Sailor Saturn said, and she walked off without further ado. The rest of them reluctantly look her lead.

"So," Minako said. "Um...." she paused. "Nice to meet you. I'm Princess Venus. But you can call me Minako, because Princess Venus sounds sort of weird. I always sort of thought it was kind of awkward when people called me that." Eros just stared at her. "Ahem. And you're, uh...?"

"I was sort of planning on killing myself, so if you don't mind...."

"What? Why?"

"I used the only person I ever really loved, and, as Juno so poetically put it, broke her heart into a billion pieces. I doubt there is anything which I could do to repair the damage I've done."

Minako sat down on the floor. "Tell me about it."

"It's a long and ugly story," he said.

"We're patient," Artemis replied.

Eros paused. He took a deep breath. "Very well. I suppose, as the senshi of Venus, you have a right to know; and I suppose it is fitting I should tell my story before I end it. During the Rainbow Millennium--you do know what that is, right?"

"We've been informed," Artemis said. "Both about Neherenia's prophecy, and how that doomed the three powers of the rest of Sol."

"At that time, I was a priest on Venus. Without the three powers together, my body reverted to it's cursed form. It may not surprise you terribly to know I was a very vain person, as well as quite fixated on finding my true love, a quest that hadn't been going very successfully. I had had....numerous lovers, but things always ended badly."

"Gee, I don't know anyone like--"

"Shut up, Artemis," Minako interjected. "Continue, Eros."

"Bitter that my life had been cut short and that I was to spend the remainder of my days as a bird, I spent my days moping around Aphrodite. At that time, a very strange sailor senshi appeared to me. She called herself Sailor Nemesis."

"What is she like?" Minako asked. "Sailor Nemesis."

Eros paused. "She is taller than any man or woman on Earth, or anyone at anytime in Sol. Her fuku looks like a shroud of darkness, and her hair is inky black. She has the wings of a demon, and a polearm with a dozen blades that shift and bend like snakes."

"She sounds frightful," Artemis remarked.

"She has a terrible beauty," Eros replied, "But yes, she is frightful. She told me that if I came and worked for her, I could have my human form back, a new chance at life--if I were lucky, love, even."

"And you said yes? You must have known you were as good as selling your soul," Artemis said.

"Don't be so hard on him, Artemis," she replied. "Can you blame him? He was alone, afraid, miserable. Haven't we all felt like quitting in a moment of weakness?"

"That's no excuse," Eros said. "I did it because I was selfish. I was afraid of dying and afraid of being alone. So, I accepted her offer, and we were put to sleep as stone statues. I woke up 3000 years later, with the directive to cause suffering, which would give Nemesis energy--she called it 'kakon.' Good energy, she explained, was called 'agathon,' and wherever we found that energy, we were supposed to thwart it."

"How terrible," Minako remarked. "It must have been a hollow existence, living to cause pain in other people.

"It...how can I explain it? Living like that changes you. Things you thought once were reprehensible become ordinary and even acceptable. I had sworn to Nemesis to do her bidding, and even if I was selfish, I was a man of my word. I decided to collect kakon the way I knew best. I would seduce someone, preferably someone already miserable and distrustful, since those people are the most likely to be vulnerable when they finally open up."

"Oh...how awful..." Minako said. "And that was--her name, what was it?"

"Yamiko. At first I was doing as I had planned, slowly letting her put her trust in me--" He broke off.

"Did it work?" Minako asked.

"It worked--too well. I was a fool. I have ever fallen in love easily, only to have my heart broken. I fell for Yamiko, too. But Yamiko was different. In the past, my lovers may have courted me for my appearance or my fortune, but they never loved me. Yamiko loved me. There was a joy I had never felt before in bringing light to a life that was lived in darkness. I realized that I couldn't complete my devil's bargain too late. Now Yamiko knows me for the swine I am."

"That's so sad," Minako said with deep sincerity. "But you shouldn't give up--you regret your crimes. I'm sure there's an opportunity to heal the wounds you've made."

"Even if I could convince Yamiko that I regretted my actions--that I was a changed man--still, It would be a hideous thing to ask for the love of someone who I had used. There are certain crimes that can never be undone. What I did to her--it was vile."

"But you made her love and trust again. I think that's beautiful, even if you did it for the wrong reasons at first. And you redeemed yourself with your love. You love Yamiko, now, right?"

"Of course!" Eros replied. "But what good does that do now?"

"It's love," she said. "It creates good wherever it goes."

"That's not even a sensible reply," Eros snapped. "It just sounds pointlessly optimistic."

"You sure are a crappy Priest of Venus," Minako retorted. "You don't even believe in the message of your Holy Land--er, what was it called?"

"Aphrodite," Eros replied.

"Right. Venusians are about love and beauty. How can you just ignore something that's in your nature?"

"It's not in my nature any more than it is anyone elses'," he said. "I may be from Venus, but at the end of the day I am a person more than a Venusian."

Minako sighed. She had had her share of disillusionment in love as well, so she had to admit that Eros had her there. "What if Yamiko came to you with words of forgiveness? Would you accept her love?"

Eros paused, arching his neck thoughtfully. "If Yamiko came to me, saying that she forgave me and that she was happiest by my side, then--_only_ then--would I return to her." He looked through the brilliantly shining facets of the crystal palace wistfully. "But why present me with such a dream, when I know that such things cannot be? Yamiko will be devastated by what I've done. I'll be lucky if she doesn't try to harm herself. I can only pray that she won't."

"You can't if you kill yourself," Artemis snarkily replied.

"Artemis!" Minako said with disgust. "But he's right. If you kill yourself, you can't protect her--who knows if that might be necessary? And what if she decided to forgive you--however unlikely you think that might be--only to find out that her one true love had ended his life because of her? If only to prevent that possibility, please, don't kill yourself!"

Eros sighed. "I suppose."

"Anyway, now that Venus has her priest back, it would be a shame if you killed yourself," Artemis added.

Eros paused. "In light of that, I fear you are right. It wouldn't be fair to Venus, Eosphorus and Hesperus."

"Who?" she asked.

"The two moons of Venus."

"Venus has moons?" Artemis said, surprised.

"It did," Eros replied, "before they were destroyed. But if I summon the three powers to Aphrodite, I could bring their moons back."

"Are they alive--Hesperus and Eosphorus?"

"Yes," Eros replied.

"You can tell?" Artemis said.

"Of course," Eros said. "It's my duty to serve them. I can find them at any time. I can summon them, too, if the occasion calls for it."

"Could you summon them right now?" Minako asked.

Before another word was uttered, Minako found herself on a barren wasteland. A great mansion was spread before them, as opulent as the Versailles, but it was ruined and crumbling. Nearby were two other people. One, a woman, was dressed in an opulent gown of vivid purple adorned with pink-orange lace. The other was was a man; he wore armor of milky gold. A wide, flat blade hung at his belt, and he had a long cape of a bright, sunrise colored hue.

"Hmm. Look who's come crawling back. You've seen better days, Eros," she said playfully.

"I'm in no mood, Princess Psyche," he said somberly.

She raised an interested eyebrow, but said nothing. Meanwhile, the man knelt down and kissed Princess Venus demurely on the hand. "Princess Venus...or should I say Queen Venus now? Your beauty is far more overwhelming in person than in any photograph."

Minako giggled. "Why thank you," she said. "And your name...?"

"Prince Altan," he said. "A pleasure."

"Since we're all getting on so fabulously," Eros said bitterly, "Let's just get on with it." An orange halo surrounded Eros and spread to envelope them. "The fates of three are the fate of one. As we live, so do we die. As we thrive, so do we wither. Do you accept?"

"Yes," Psyche replied.

"Of course," Altan said.

"What am I accepting?" Minako asked.

"Do you want your crystal and for the three powers to be united again?" Altan asked her.

"Oh! Yes, of course," she said.

"It is done, and the curse is no more," Eros said. He spread his wings wide and, as light enveloped him, resumed the form of a man. The light spread from Eros and moved across the barren landscape; vegetation sprouted from the earth; there were flowers and trees in brilliant bloom, and the crumbled buildings became grand castles once more. The sky lit up and glowed like a brilliant sunset. It reminded Minako of when Sailor Moon had defeated Metallia, and the Moon Kingdom had been resurrected--it captured just that feeling, of seeing something long-forgotten remembered again in all of its glory.

Minako felt a warm feeling in her chest. She held out her hands as the warm glow expanded outward and materialized into a crystal, its facets shining with a coppery luster; it was shaped like a delicate flower. Looking around her, she saw that the other two had similar crystals, though those were of different hues.

"This is...?" she said in amazement.

"The copper crystal of Venus," Eros said. "Use it wisely. As you might imagine, it is very, very, _very_ powerful in the hands of one who can use it."

The Queen of Venus held it to her chest and the crystal became a part of her once more.

"I'll return you home, now," Eros said.

"Wait," Minako interrupted. "Eros...remember what we talked about. I promise you, this isn't the end for you and Yamiko."

"You can't know that, Minako," he said. "Time is not your realm." He clasped his hands and muttered something inaudibly, and they were gone.

* * *

Sayoko gasped when she heard the doorbell ring. Yamiko was not home yet; and she worried what that lateness could mean, given her sister's rather unsafe double life. She hoped that the doorbell ringing just meant that Yamiko had lost her key.

As she opened the door, she realized that her fears, not her hopes, were closer to reality. Tokimo stood in the doorway, her face uncharacteristically somber. She held Yamiko by the hand, who was _crying_. Those two gross breaches of character were enough to seriously concern Sayoko. Between them scurried a very uncomfortable-looking Kouken. "What happened?" she asked, alarmed. Tokimo looked uncertain of what to say. "Well, come in," Sayoko said, opening the door. Tokimo lead Yamiko through the door and to the couch. Sayoko sat beside her sister. "Please," she said. "Whatever happened, just tell me."

"Kane was really Eros," Tokimo said. "The priest of Aphrodite. He...he was using Yamiko. Coeus, who showed us who Kane really was, said that he was planning on betraying her all along to further Nemesis' evil plans. Eros seemed to regret what he had done--he begged me to save Yamiko from Coeus--but it doesn't change the past, I guess."

Sayoko looked shocked. "Kane?" she said. "But...I was so certain he was the real thing."

"He loved her, if that's what you mean," Tokimo said. "But if he _really_ cared about her, he woulda stopped working for the bad guys before Coeus made him!"

"Yamiko," Sayoko said, embracing her sister. "It'll be okay."

Yamiko laid her head against her sister's shoulder and sobbed. "I-I m-must be cursed, Sayoko," she said. "That's all the only...the only reason I-I can think of for all this m-misery."

"Oh, Yamiko," she said, rubbing her sister's back comfortingly. "You're not cursed. Look, if anyone's cursed, it's your big sis. Think about how many guys I've been through, and they're not even villainous masterminds. They're just regular assholes."

"Hey, since Eros was a villain, maybe we can just kill him," Tokimo said. "No one would miss him."

If anything, Yamiko began crying more. "Was a villain? Did he defect?" Sayoko said.

"At the end, he was pleading for Yamiko's life to be saved," Kouken replied. "Not exactly a villainous act...and after he reverted to his cursed form--a swan--the royal family took him off to heal him. If he hasn't decided to leave Nemesis' employ already, I'm sure they will either convince him, or, as a last resort, purify him."

"Well, you probably shouldn't kill him then, Tokimo. Anyway, Toki, why don't you go get some hot cocoa? Do you think you can figure that out?"

Tokimo looked a little insulted. "Why does everyone think I'm totally stupid?"

Sayoko ignored her. "So what's this about a swan?" she asked, troubled.

"Eros lost his protection under Nemesis, so he reverted to his cursed form. When Priests have their three powers broken, they turn into a sort of emblematic beast to conserve what little energy they have left. It's a sort of...spiritual form, which takes less energy for them to maintain."

"Huh," she replied.

"W-why couldn't he have just k-killed me before I found out?" she sobbed. "I'd be happier s-stupid and dead."

"Oh, Yamiko," she said mournfully. "Don't say that. You'll always have your big sister." Yamiko continued to bawl, but Sayoko let her. Before her sister could even hope to heal, she had to shed these tears.

* * *

Ariel's uniform dissolved around her, and she became Kazeko once more. She looked at her hands confusedly, and then at the ground.

"Are you all right?" the Crimson Eagle asked, turning toward Kazeko.

Kazeko was quiet for a moment. "I've finally decided to embrace my fate as a Tuatha de Dannann--as a god on earth. But I don't feel any different. I don't feel any more divine."

"Were you expecting to?" the Crimson Eagle asked.

"I..." she dropped her hands. "I don't know. Perhaps I've always felt more divine than most people, without realizing it. I suppose if I'm a Moon Senshi, divinity is the norm and not the exception."

Erik mulled her words over in his head. "I suppose it's possible that we are fundamentally different as human beings than normal people," he said. "But I think it's unlikely. If the behavior if every sailor senshi I've thus encountered is in any way representative, I'd say that senshi are no more divine than anyone else. There are senshi who seem to have the patience and love of goddesses, like Serenity; but there are senshi who are deeply flawed, like Miranda. More than one senshi has become evil in their time and lived to become good again."

"It's not that I necessarily thought that the senshi were more perfect than normal people..." she trailed off. "Maybe sometimes I felt that way because I admired them so, but I knew better--had been taught better. More than perfection...I just expected to feel different somehow. More than just having more powers. I expected to feel...I don't know...a knowledge of past and future. Of what I should be doing, and why, whether it was right or not. A sense of purpose."

The Crimson Eagle sighed. "Well, trust me, as a knight, my sense of purpose has never been clear to me. There's the Knight's Code, of course...that much purpose is clear. But that was handed to me in my training, and it keep it because of my honor...I'm not held to it in a supernatural sense."

"Although you'd think it, the way he sticks to it," Ikkoku interjected.

"You were being so blissfully quiet before," he said, irked. "Anyway, and just look at Seisui--she certainly isn't moving through life with a sense of purpose. The farther along she goes, the more purpose seems to be snatched away from her."

"She's lost," Kazeko said. "We can do what we will to help her, but only she can find her way back to herself."

The Crimson Eagle frowned as he thought of her. But there was no point in that line of thought; that was a problem for later, and not something he could solve by dwelling on it. "Anyway, there's only one thing I can think of that makes Sailor Senshi more divine than normal humans, outside of their superhuman abilities," he said at last.

"What's that?"

"Second chances."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Queen Beryl, Wiseman, Professor Tomoe, Queen Neherenia...they were all 'normal' humans who became seduced by Chaos and later, destroyed. But even when they succeeded in destroying or corrupting the senshi, the senshi were reborn again from the ashes, given a second chance at a life. For them, however, the one chance they lost was enough; and the people they killed are gone forever."

Kazeko looked at his darkly masked face thoughtfully. "Then maybe the nature of our divinity is that we are always given the chance to perfect ourselves," she said. "No matter how long it takes."

"If that's true," he replied, "then it's just as well if we have eternity. That's how long it will take to succeed at such an enterprise."

* * *

"Seisui," Erik said. She looked up at him, mildly surprised. The path to Goban from her house and his bus stop intersected; Seisui's senshi presence, though weaker than most, could still be felt as she neared him. Now was as good a time as any to follow up on their earlier conversation, so he waited for her to catch up to him.

"Yeah?" she asked. "Were you following me?" she added.

"No," he said. "You were moving in my direction, so I decided to wait for you. Have you decided?"

"Decided what?" she asked.

"If you want to train with me."

"Oh!" she said. "Well...I suppose I have nothing to lose from it. It's not like I can fall any farther."

"Seisui...." he said. "You have a lot of strength. Don't sell yourself short."

Seisui smiled weakly. "I can imagine you're all very sick of my complaining."

"I'm not sick of your complaining," Erik said. "I'm just sick of your being so unhappy."

Seisui looked a little astonished, then smirked. "You and Tokimo both," she said at last.

"You should spend more time with Tokimo," he said. "You mean a lot to her, Seisui."

"How would you know?" Seisui said evasively.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said. "You know, Seisui, I..." he paused, sighing. "You say that everyone is pushing you away, but I think you're pushing other people away just as much...because you're--"

"If you say 'because you're afraid of getting hurt', so help me, I will slap you," she interjected.

"No," he persisted, "because you're afraid of changing."

"I'm not afraid of changing," she said. "I'm trying to change. It's proving to be difficult."

"Because it's painful, and you don't want to face the things about yourself that you know might be wrong!"

"Do I look like a person who's having trouble thinking badly of myself to you?" Seisui asked, turning toward him accusingly.

"You look like a person who's trying to think badly of themselves for all the wrong reasons," he replied.

"You've got a lot of balls to say that to me," she said. "Everyone knows that you'd be twice the man you are if you stopped worrying about your stupid code and started caring about someone because you were genuine about it! Talk about thinking badly of yourself for the wrong reasons!"

"This isn't about me!" he said.

"Why not?" she said. "Usually, when I'm talking to someone, it's pretty apparent that they're sick of hearing me talk about myself. You ought to be glad of the change of pace!"

"...Who said that?" Erik said.

"It doesn't matter," Seisui mumbled.

They were silent for what seemed like an eternity. Crows cawed in the trees set against the darkening sky. "Seisui," Erik said at last. "What do you think is wrong with you?"

"I don't know," she said.

"That's not an honest answer," he replied. "At least I don't think so. I think you do know what you've done wrong, but you can't face it."

"And that is?"

"My telling you isn't going to make you change your mind," he said. "It'll just make you even more defensive, which is the last thing you need."

"Defensive about _what_?" she pressed.

"Do you want to train with me or not?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I already said yes," she replied. "I haven't changed my mind in the time we've been talking."

"I'll meet you after class tomorrow, then," he replied. "Okay?"

"Okay," she replied.

* * *

Ikkoku giggled as she flew from the trees and landed on Erik's shoulder. Seisui had since turned down her street and toward her house, leaving Erik alone. "She got you good," she said.

"I don't know what you mean," he said.

"She's right," Ikkoku continued. "You should stop worrying about the code and start worrying about people. Of course, I shouldn't give you a hard time, since you're taking that advice to heart at last."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"With Seisui," Ikkoku said. "There's a connection between you. I'm happy to see that you're nuturing it, instead of kicking it away like a flea-ridden rat."

Erik looked disgusted. "You aren't suggesting--"

"I'm not suggesting anything," Ikkoku interjected. "You're just helping her out. We both know you'd never take advantage of someone."

"For a minute, I thought--"

"If, however, the ball came from the other court, so to speak..."

"That does not make it okay!" Erik protested.

"You should be more open-minded," Ikkoku said. "Like I said, we both know you'd never take advantage of someone."

"I want to help Seisui," he said. "That's my duty."

"Is it just your duty?" she asked. "Look, put aside my double entendres for a second. I think you think of Seisui as more than your duty...at the very least, I think she's special to you--a friend, or maybe a ward."

"If she's a ward, that makes your insinuations a lot more creepy," Erik replied.

"Well, you get what I'm saying! My point is, you do want to help her because you care about her, right? Even if you don't care about her _like that_." He was silent for a long time. "Well?" Ikkoku prompted him.

"I do care about her," he said. "I suppose I have already broken the Knight's Code, at least in spirit."

"Pish posh," she said. "'A knight must protect all possessors of a sailor crystal in Sol.' How have you broken that directive? You still protect everyone. Last I checked, you weren't defending Seisui to the exclusion of anyone else."

"But..." he said, "the spirit of that rule is that I shouldn't preference them, even in my personal relationships."

"Why not? What harm is there in caring for another human being?" Ikkoku asked.

"What if there were two youma, and one was attacking Charon, and the other Titan--how could I trust myself to not to protect Titan first?"

"Honestly, assuming they're both at full power, I doubt either one of them would need protecting. Frankly, when they're in command of themselves, both of them could probably kick your ass."

"Thanks," Erik said dryly.

"Seriously," Ikkoku continued, "does it matter who you protect in that situation? Either way, you have to choose. If there's no way you can protect both of them, it hardly matters if you pick the one who means more to you."

"Somehow that doesn't seem satisfactory," he replied.

"Can you come up with an answer that satisfies you?"

"No," he replied. "I can't."

"Hmph," she said. "Then maybe you have even more in common with Seisui than I thought."

"What do you mean?" he replied.

"Maybe it's not that you don't know the answer to the question," she said. "Maybe it's that you do, but you just can't face it."

Erik gasped.

_"M-mother..."_

_Her breath came in slow, labored gasps. As he ran to her and held her frail body, she smiled at him._

_"How could I, I--"_

_"No one could blame you, Arutha," she said weakly. "Listen, Arutha. You must not dwell on what's happened. You must forgive yourself and move on."_

_"But I--"_

_"Arutha," she continued. "Forgive yourself. And if you're given another chance...choose your happiness, not your duty." She breathed her last. She breathed her last, and he could not heal her._

_And in the midst of him, the dead bodies of Neptune's Moon Senshi..._

_Fallen by his sword._

_~EPISODE SIXTEEN: FIN~_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**:

**Sayoko**: Eros, you've hurt the dearest thing in the world to me. For that you'll pay. But when I see Yamiko, It kills me to know that you're her only salvation.

**Minako**: Where love is concerned, my own history is spotted. But where others are concerned, I refuse to see love wither when I know it can flourish.

**Yamiko**: I once had a heart. Then you stole it, and ate it, and buried it.

**Mauros**: There is a sound, a sound that's warm but hurts me...Mayumi, who are you?

**Tokimo**: Hey, if it worked with Eros, it can work again. If they can get seduced to the darkness--I bet Tokimo can seduce them to the light!

**Natsuko**: How am I supposed to find myself if Akiko won't let me? How am I supposed to be proud of myself when she steals my accomplishments from me?

**Haruko**: What is finding yourself, but abandoning me? I don't want to be left in the darkness again...

**Fuyuko**: Kazeko, you're as much a puzzle as any game. What brought you here? What are you afraid of? Who are you hiding from? If only you trusted me enough to tell.

**Seisui**: Erik--you're..._that_ vonDarkmoor...?

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

"_The Panacea_"

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.

* * *


	17. Episode Seventeen: The Panacea

Sayoko sighed as she looked out the window. Yamiko had confined herself to her room; Sayoko made sure to take everything even mildly sharp or pointy out of there before she let her sister settle in. Sayoko also locked the windows and put away all of Yami's drugs. She thought of making her stay in the living room with her and Tokimo, where she could watch her, but she thought that Yamiko would probably want a little time to pull herself together--at least enough to stop crying. That, and she suspected that Yamiko would spend the time alone sleeping off some of her tears.

"Shouldn't you head home, Tokimo?" Sayoko replied.

"I thought I could maybe make dinner," she said. "I figured you could use another hand around the house, since you're gonna have to keep an eye on Ms. Death-wish."

"You can cook?" Sayoko asked dubious.

"Um..." Tokimo looked a little sheepish. "If I take it slow. And it's something simple. I'll make spaghetti."

"Oh, Tokimo," Sayoko said, sighing. "What am I going to do?"

"Kill Eros and burn him into tiny ashes?"

She looked away from the window and toward a pile of manga on the coffee table. "Part of me wants to," She said.

"And you should want to!" Tokimo replied. "His butt needs kicking."

"I want to, but..." Sayoko snapped.

"But Yamiko was happy with Kane?" Kouken suggested.

"Did he really regret what he'd done, Kouken? Did he really feel guilty?"

Kouken paused. "When Coeus first revealed to Yamiko that Kane was Eros, she didn't believe him. At that time, Coeus was in a very tight spot; as long as Yamiko didn't believe that Kane was Eros, he couldn't exactly shatter Yamiko's world. But it was an interesting thing. Even though Eros had tried to get Yamiko to leave before she could find out the truth, once Coeus told her, he admitted that he was Kane--he said it was because he couldn't stand to lie to her anymore. I wondered, at the time--if he couldn't stand to lie to her, why lie to Tokimo earlier?"

There was a pause. "Well, why?" Sayoko said.

"I don't know," Kouken said. "It wasn't a rhetorical question."

Sayoko looked thoughtful. "Maybe he thought she was happier not knowing the truth," Sayoko said. "But at the same time, he didn't want her thinking well of him after what he'd done."

"When I met him at his house," Tokimo said, "he told me to tell Yamiko that Kane had just been going after Yamiko for her fortune. So he couldn't have been too worried about making her think he was a nice guy."

"So he probably wanted to spare her the trauma of knowing that he was a basically a monster...and just give her the trauma of knowing he was a jerk."

"How's that any better?" Tokimo asked.

"If a guy's an asshole to you, usually it's not because he's trying," Sayoko said. "Like in this case, if Kane had really been after Yamiko's money, it's not so much that he wants to make Yamiko unhappy as just that Yamiko has something that Kane wants. But Eros set out to make Yamiko unhappy. That was the whole reason he made her fall in love with him. How must that make her feel?"

"Huh," Tokimo said. "I guess that makes your argument about Yamiko not being cursed because you've dated a bunch of guys kinda dumb."

Sayoko groaned. "Well, she only had the one experience. What my boyfriends have lacked in cruel intentions they've made up for in number."

"So what will you do, Sayoko?" Kouken asked. "Are you going to get revenge against Eros?"

"I want to," she said. "But the more I think about it, the more I know that what Yamiko and Ka--Eros has was real. I know, I've been in a lot of relationships...only a couple times have I felt something like the chemistry those two built. And Yamiko...she finally opened up to someone. As much as I want to hate Eros, I have to admire him a little bit. Even I haven't gotten Yamiko to open up like that. Part of me wishes I could rewind to the past, smack him in the face and ask him what the fuck he was thinking by joining Nemesis."

"If he hadn't, he wouldn't be alive for all of this to happen in the first place," Kouken remarked.

"Even so!" Sayoko said. "He should have quit. Oh, Yamiko..." she tousled her hair in maddened frustration. "But I can't just let him off easily, either. He hurt my little Yami! For that he's gotta pay!"

"Hm," Tokimo said. "He still loves Yamiko, right?"

"That much seems pretty apparent," Kouken agreed.

"Why not freak him out? Make him think Yamiko killed herself or something. He'll believe it--it's close enough to the truth." Tokimo grinned. "And just when his heart is crushed--_just kidding_! He'll be so relieved he'll do anything you say."

"You're brilliant, Tokimo!" Sayoko said.

"I know. Which is why it drives me nuts when people always say I'm dumb," she said accusingly.

"But where is he?" Sayoko wondered.

"Probably on Aphrodite," Kouken replied.

"...where exactly is that, anyway?" Sayoko asked.

"It's co-located with Venus through an extra time-space dimension," Kouken replied. "In a spiritual kind of way."

"Great," Sayoko replied, "How am I supposed to get there?"

Kouken paused. "Um, well...that's a good question. There's two different ways--"  
"I could do it!" Tokimo piped in as pots were heard clattering in the kitchen.

"Maybe," Kouken replied, "but without your crystal, it would be hard. I don't recommend it. Rather than that, you'd be better off talking to Sailor Pluto or even better, Helios."

"Helios, huh?" Sayoko said thoughtfully. "Well, it's off to the Crystal Palace I go."

* * *

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru  
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo

"The Panacea"

* * *

"I can't believe you're just marching up to the Crystal Palace," Kouken said.

"You must be a slow learner, Kouken," Sayoko said. "How many times now have people you know just gone marching up to the Crystal Palace? I mean, it's practically the story of your life."

Kouken just sighed. Sayoko approached the front of the doorless palace and just sort of hopefully knocked.

"Who is it?" A gentleman asked, appearing on a large projection on the wall of the palace.

"My name is Sayoko Hoshino," she said. "I'm Sailor Phoebe's older sister and guardian. I need to talk to Helios about Eros. Oh, and this is Kouken, the talking ferret."

"Hi," Kouken said. The guard looked a little taken aback, but the screen blipped out and back in.

"Helios is at still at school," the guard said.

"Really?" Sayoko said. "I guess he must have club or something..." she reflected.

"But Princess--er, Queen Venus says she will see you."

A huge, ornate door appeared before them and opened a crack. "Com'on in," Venus said, ushering them inside.

"This place is huge," Sayoko remarked, looking at the huge foyer and the grand-staircase that loomed above them.

"Yeah, I know," Venus replied. "I'm embarrassed to admit that I've gotten lost a couple times. Come on, I'll take you to my parlor." Queen Venus led her through a series of hallways and into a small room. The furniture was opulently decorated in the rococo style with wine red upholstery. The walls were a pale, brownish yellow with goldenrods splayed decoratively across them. The wall was decorated with nicely framed posters of famous celebrities, most of them signed with rather prominent hearts drawn on them. This didn't surprise Sayoko; the Queen of Venus was known for her, ahem, close friendships with prominent figures. Venus pushed what looked like a doorbell in the parlor and a servant quickly came by.

"Yes, my lady?" she said.

"I'll have a mimosa," Venus said. "Would you like anything, Ms., Er..."

"Sayoko is fine," she said. "And I'll have one too."

"Very well," the servant said.

"You can call me Minako, Sayoko," Venus said.

"Anyway," Sayoko said. "I was hoping to get to Aphrodite. I need to talk to Eros."

"Is it about Yamiko and Eros?" Minako asked.

"Oh--you know about it?" Sayoko replied, surprised.

"Eros told me about it." she frowned sadly. "It's really tragic, what happened. He really loves her, but he made a terrible mistake."

"A 'terrible mistake' is breaking someone's $800 vase. What Eros did was 'be an asshole' not 'a terrible mistake.'"

"Then...you don't want them to get back together?" Minako said, crestfallen.

The serving woman came in and put down the mimosas. Sayoko took a sip before continuing; she watched the servant leave. "It was a difficult decision," she said. "But I ultimately decided that they should get back together. Not before I have my payback, but..." she shrugged. "The fact of the matter is, no one--not even me, I'm ashamed to admit--has made Yamiko so happy. And I can tell that what he felt for her as genuine, at least at the end. Part of me will never quite forgive him....and I fear that it may be too late for him and Yamiko after what he's done. But if what they had can be recaptured...I'd like to try."

Minako clapped. "Well," she said, "then we're in agreement. The next step is how to go about it. And I agree with you--Eros should have to do something to show that he truly regrets his crimes, even if it's pretty clear from his behavior that he does. Did you know he had every intention of killing himself, before I convinced him otherwise?"

Sayoko looked surprised. "Really? I guess he shares more in common with Yamiko than I thought," she replied.

"Was she going to kill herself?" Minako said, taken aback.

"Well...I hope not," Sayoko replied. "It's hard to know. She was crying so hard."

"Is she alone right now?" Minako asked.

"No," she said. "Tokimo is watching her." Sayoko paused. "Which I suppose sounds irresponsible, but if you can get Tokimo to set her mind to something, she'll pursue it with psychotic vigor."

"I don't know Tokimo, so I'll have to take your word for it," Minako said. "Anyway, the problem that we're facing now is that Eros refuses to see Yamiko. He says that only if Yamiko says that she forgives him will he return to her. So we need to make her forgive him."

"It's not that simple," Sayoko replied. "Yamiko isn't the forgive and forget type, and she'll only believe Eros is a changed man if he makes a real effort to prove it to her."

"Great. So we have Eros in the right corner, who won't make a move without the blessing of Yamiko; and Yamiko in the left corner, who won't make a move without some display of his sincerity."

Sayoko flopped back in her chair. "So what do we do?"

"Eros told me Yamiko was distrustful and miserable. Is that true?"

"Ding ding," Sayoko said dryly. "And an escapist."

"Then we're probably better off trying to get Eros to try and prove his feelings of regret than we are trying to get Yamiko to forgive him. So we need to come up with something that will motivate Eros to try and prove Yamiko he still cares."

"No, no..." Sayoko said. "I think if we try to get Eros to prove that he still cares about Yamiko, we're doomed to fail. In some ways, he might hope that she thinks he doesn't care so that she'll get over him quicker. No, what we need to do is make Eros do something that he thinks will help right the wrongs he's done."

Minako hemmed thoughtfully. The both sat in the chairs for a long time, sipping mimosas as they thought.

"Nice poster of Kou Yaten," Sayoko remarked absently. "That an antique?"

"Yeah," she said. "She signed it before returning to Kinmoku."

"Uh..." Sayoko paused, confused. "Huh." And was silent again as she thought. "It's no good, " she said at last. "Barring some sort of radical act of derring-do, I can't think of a damn thing Eros could do. Can you?"

"Nah, me neither. We'll just have to convince him he has the hots for Yamiko too bad to give her up." Minako sighed. "So I guess the best we can manage to do for now is get them to go somewhere and meet each other and realize how in love they are."

"Naw, too fast. Better if Eros just sees Yamiko. Yamiko's not ready to face him," Sayoko replied.

"Then we'd better pick something that doesn't involve too much socializing with a large group." she paused. "Hey, does Yamiko like musicals?"

"Depends. How angsty is it?"

"It's Phantom of the Opera. Is that angsty?"

Sayoko grinned fiendishly. "It's perfect."

"All right, then," Minako said. "I'll get Eros in a place where he can see her, and I'll make sure to get you tickets in a place where she can't see him."

"Oh--" Sayoko said, suddenly remembering why she came here to begin with. "Can you take me to wherever Eros is staying--er--"

"Aphrodite," Minako said.

"Right. I need to talk to him."

"About Yamiko?" Minako asked.

Sayoko nodded. "I need to have a talk with him," she said. "Like I said...I need my payback."

* * *

Natsuko squinted as she glanced at the sun rising in the distance. She had to admit, Akiko had a good idea with the hair; today, Natsuko tried braiding her hair up around her head, and it stayed out of the way of her face much more than her normal style. The morning birds were making a huge raucous in the distance; she took a deep breath and began to jog as Hitomi called to start.

Akiko slowly approached her and managed, with difficulty, to keep pace with her younger sister. "Hey," she said, panting, "This isn't so hard."

Natsuko ignored her.

"Hey," Akiko said, louder this time. "I said--"

"I know what you said," Natsuko replied. "I just don't give a crap."

Akiko frowned. "I'm just trying to--"

"I'm trying to beat my time," Natsuko said. "This might be a lark for you, but it's important to me. So be quiet."

* * *

"Natsu," Akiko said, putting on her school uniform, "I think you're taking this whole track thing way too seriously."

Natusko shot her a withering look. Hitomi and the other girls in track and field had already dressed and left; Natsuko and Akiko had been slowed by fixing their hair. "I want to compete in the nationals before I graduate," she said. "So I have to get good."

"But why?" Akiko asked. "It's just running around a circle. Isn't it more fun to goof off with your sisters?"

"I have fun hanging out with you guys," Natsuko said. "But I want to apply myself to something, too. I want to prove I can be something besides a sailor senshi."

Akiko looked thoughtful. "It still seems like a waste of time," she said. "Track seems easy and boring to me."

"Well, it's not easy for me!" Natsuko said angrily. "If it's so damn easy for you, why not try something that's more of a challenge?"

Akiko frowned. She regretted her words; it wasn't as easy as she had said it was. By the end, she had really felt like walking. But she was damned if she was going to admit that to Natsuko.

"Hmph," she said. "Maybe I'll just do that stupid animal thing after all."

"Good," Natsuko replied. "Get you out of my hair already."

"Oh, that's a challenge!" she snapped. "Fine. Next tournament, I'm going to beat you. And after I beat you, only then will I leave the track team.

"Feh," Natsuko replied, "_If_ you can beat me. Though if you do, at least you'll be out of my hair!"

"I'm surprised more things don't get caught in your hair," Akiko snapped, "It's like a big fishing line with a lure at the top!"

Natsuko punched Akiko in the face.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. "The hell--"

"Aki, you think you're hot stuff," she snapped. "You're not. Your hair isn't any more normal than mine, so I wouldn't talk--and at least I didn't _beat animals_!"

"You can't bring that up here!" Akiko said. "That's Neherenia stuff. It's off-limits!"

"You made fun of my hair--that's just as bad!"

"It is not, you b--" Natsuko swung another fist toward Akiko, but she grabbed it this time. Natsuko tried to fling her other fist toward Aki's stomach, but Akiko grabbed that one with her other hand. Soon they were braced against each other, going nowhere fast as they glared daggers at each other.

There was a loud creak as the door to the changing room opened. "Akiko, Natsuko!" Haruko shouted. "I was wondering where you were. What the _hell_ is going on?!"

They immediately broke off and turned away from each other. "She started it," Akiko snapped.

"This is why I thought going off and doing your own thing was a bad idea," Haruko said. "The first thing you do is fight."

"We weren't fighting, until Akiko decided to play copy-cat," Natsuko said. "Way to play up the baby sister stereotype."

"Why does it matter if Akiko wants to join the same club as you?" Haruko said. "Shouldn't you be happy that she has the same interests?"

"She doesn't," Natsuko said. "She just joined because she was curious as to why I wanted to."

"I'm sure that's not true," Haruko said. "That's just your assumption."

"Actually," Akiko said guiltily, "it is kind of true. I did join partly out of curiosity as to why Natsuko wanted to go off on her own. But I'm taking it seriously!" she said. "I'm going to be in the next tournament, and I'm going to beat you, snot!"

"You only want to be in the tournament because I said you should quit so you would be out of my hair!"

"Your dumb looking hair," Akiko retorted.

"Shut up!" Haruko said. "Akiko, you can stay in track until the tournament--but afterwards you have to quit, whether you lose or win, unless you can convince me that you sincerely care about track and aren't just copying Natsuko...or trying to find out what the fuss is about...or whatever it is that you're doing."

Natsuko frowned. "But she--"

"Discussion over," Haruko announced, and turned to go to her classes.

* * *

"So," Nemesis said dryly. Her dark, glassy throne towered above them in the grand hall; the dark, inky colors of her sailor uniform seemed to blend together, and in the dim light of the Twilight Palace, midnight blue and burgundy looked little different from the deep, dark black of her collar. "You want to work with your brother in Tokyo."

Coeus bowed reverently. He tugged on Mauros' long jacket, and his brother mimicked the gesture. "After much consideration, I feel it wouldn't do to underestimate the Tokyo senshi. Moreover, they have Planetary Senshi to back them up, not to mention Sailor Luna--and now, Venus too--both of whom have their three powers intact. And, as you know, Mauros and I make an excellent team."

Nemesis paused. "You did collect quite a lot of kakon when you revoked Eros' power," she remarked. "Both from Phoebe and, more impressively, Eros--not to mention the additional kakon you garnered from Vesta and Charon."

"Thank you, your eminence," he replied.

"So, given the circumstances, I will let you work in concert with your sibling," she said. "Besides which, Mauros is difficult to control on his own...so it may be for the best to have you two work together."

"Thank you," Coeus said. Nemesis waved her hand to dismiss him.

* * *

"So I'm staying in Tokyo to play with these Senshi?" he said.

Coeus shrugged. "There was never any doubt," he said. "I knew Nemesis would go along with it, after our excellent performance with Yamiko and Eros. I would have liked to have taken more kakon from Yamiko, but...I suppose much more could have killed her, and she's probably more useful to us alive."

Mauros looked happy. "I like Tokyo. It has cream horns."

"What did you say?" Coeus asked.

"Nothing," Mauros said hastily.

"Tell me, Mauros!" Coeus said, grabbing the front of his brother's jacket and looking at him menacingly.

"A nice girl gave me a cream horn," he said. "I didn't tell her anything, I swear, brother. She just shared a food with me."

"Haven't I told you, Mauros--_never_ talk to strangers. They'll take away all of your friends. They'll take away you, and you'll never be able to see me again. We only play with the sailor senshi, and we only spend time talking to our brother."

"I'm sorry, Coeus," he said meekly. He was disappointed, because Mayumi was so terribly nice, and her face was very nice.

"You're forgiven this time," he said. "But you must never do it again."

"Yes, brother," Mauros said sadly.

* * *

"Kouken," Tokimo said, "I need your advice."

"Yeahuh?" he said passively, munching on a carrot from Tokimo's lunch box.

"How would I go about getting a guy to fall in love with me?" she asked.

Seisui, Kazeko, and Kouken all went dead silent. "What?" Kouken said, confused.

"I said," Tokimo repeated, louder, "How would I go about getting a guy to fall in love with me?"

"Who is it?" Seisui asked, a little shocked.

"I dunno," Tokimo said. "But it's probably Coeus, because it looks like he's the new priest on the block."

"You're...you're in love with Coeus?" Kazeko asked, confused.

"What?" Tokimo said, disgusted. "No! No no no! Of course not."

"Then why in the name of the ten gods would you want him to fall in love with you?" Kazeko asked.

"'Cause," she said. "I have a master plan! See, when Eros fell in love with Yamiko, he went good, right?"

"I have sinking feeling about where this is going," Kouken remarked.

"So I figure, if I make whatever priesty is in Tokyo fall in love with me, he'll go good, too!"

"Um, Tokimo," Seisui said, "I'm not sure...I'm not sure your plan is entirely sound."

"What?" she exclaimed. "How could it go wrong?!"

"Well, for one," Seisui said, "you can't guarantee that this priest will fall in love with you. And anyway, making someone fall in love with you isn't exactly a small task to begin with."

"How do you know, huh?" Tokimo asked. "How many guys have you seduced?"

Seisui looked sort of flustered. "Um--"

"Perhaps, Tokimo," Kazeko interjected, "The fact that none of us has had any sort of relationship before is a testament to the difficulty of the undertaking."

"To be honest," Kouken said, "I can't imagine any of you three in a romantic relationship. You're all either too weird or too traumatized."

The Tokimo and Seisui gave him a dirty look. Kazeko just looked sort of flustered and uncomfortable.

"How many girlfriends have you had, huh Kouken?" Tokimo said. "I don't recall seeing any girl-ferrets around."

"How many ferrets do you see around, period?" Kouken replied. "Anyway, how do you know I've always been a ferret?"

"Maybe he has a human form, like Luna and Artemis," Seisui said. "Maybe he comes from an alien planet like they do."

"Of ferret-people?" Tokimo replied.

"Um..." Seisui trailed off. "Kouken, do you?"

"None of your business," he replied. "Point is, Tokimo, I don't think any amount of advice from anyone is going to help you attract a member of the opposite sex."

"I'll show you!" Tokimo said. "I'll become Tokimo, master...." she trailed off. "Person who gets priests to fall in love with her! I'll talk to Eros. He'll have advice for me. And before you know it, Coeus will regret his life of evil and be begging to join us!"

* * *

Eros watched his flower garden dejectedly. In the time between when he had turned into a swan--the first time, before he joined Nemesis--and the final crumbling of Aphrodite, a healthy crop of weeds had sprung up. Once, he would have labored over pulling out the unwanted plants and shoveling gravel mulch over the beds to keep them from sprouting up again. Now it hardly seemed to matter; what difference between weeds and ornamentals but a few meaningless flowers? He turned his face toward the vermillion sky of Aphrodite, watching the clouds lazily float past.

He sighed. The Queen of Venus wanted to speak to him, and she wanted him to bring some mortal with her. He stood up, brushed himself off, and summoned them to Aphrodite.

Sayoko appeared alongside Minako.

Eros looked surprised. "Sayoko..." he said.

Sayok walked up to Eros and slapped him, hard.

Eros held his hand up to his face but just looked toward her, dejected. "Sayoko...I..."

"She's dead," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "She killed herself, and it's all because of _you_!"

"N-no..." Eros murmured. His face became wan. "I-I..." he looked around, lost. "Venus...you may have to find someone to replace me after all..."

"What? Wait--"

Eros turned away from them and walked deeper into his garden. Minako and Sayoko walked hurriedly behind him. "What are you doing?" Minako asked.

Eros didn't answer her, but walked up to a tall, gorgeous flower. It was true blue, and tall as Eros; the blue flowers reached up to the sky, held up by brass stakes. An arrow appeared in his hand and he used its head to cut off one of the huge flowers.

"Eros, what are you doing?" Minako asked nervously.

"Delphinums are beautiful flowers," Eros said, and he opened his mouth.

"Stop that!" Sayoko said, grabbing the Delphinium out of his hand and throwing it aside. "Yamiko isn't really dead. I just told you that to make you feel like crap."

"Really?" he said shakily.

Sayoko frowned, sitting down on a nearby bench carved of bluish marble. "Yeah," she said. "I told you that as revenge."

"Well," Eros said, "I can't say I blame you. Frankly, I'm not sure why you stopped me from eating the delphinium."

"I agree with Minako," Sayoko said hesitantly. "I think...you and Yamiko should give it a second try."

"What?" Eros said, shocked. "Have you been taking Yamiko's pills, Sayoko? Or are you just totally misinformed on what happened?"

"I know what happened," Sayoko said. "You lied to my sister...got her to trust you, and then destroyed that trust..not just in you, but in everyone." She shook her head. "But...you got Yamiko to trust you. That's more than anyone but me has managed. Hell, even with me, she's annoyed at me as often as not. She genuinely enjoyed your company."

"She genuinely enjoyed Kane's company. He's dead now."

"Oh, come on," Minako interjected. "You were pretending to be Kane, right?"

"Well..." Eros said. "Yes."

"Did you radically alter your behavior when you were pretending to be him?"

Eros paused. "At first," he said. "But by the time Yamiko seemed to like me, I wasn't really pretending to be someone else at all. I was just myself with a different face."

"So what she really enjoyed was your company," Minako said. "You just happened to be wearing a really good disguise."

Eros shook his head. "Even if that's true, what I did to her was unforgivable," he said. "I caused her so much pain. Even if I was the only person in the world she came to trust, even if we were the best of friends, what I did would make all of that meaningless."

"Then it's up to you to make it meaningful again," Sayoko said. "Think of it this way--telling yourself you're too despicable to be with her is a nice sentiment, but it isn't going to help Yamiko any--"

"Oh, please," Eros interjected. "This is where you say that if I really love her, I'll try to fix my mistakes? Hardly. My being around her will only serve to remind her of what I've done to her--how I've betrayed her," he explained. "And even if it didn't, what reparation can there possibly be? What I did to her _was_ despicable, too despicable to be made up for with even the most well-intentioned of apologies or reparations."

"Look, Eros," Sayoko replied, "I'll agree with you that in the short term, it might be best to give Yamiko some space--let her recover enough to function. But doing that won't heal any of the wounds you've inflicted--it'll only scab them over. If you really want to help her, you have to try and show her that you regret what you did. Can you make up for betraying her?--maybe not--maybe not ever, as you seem so sure of. But if you spend your life dedicated to making Yamiko happy, I'll take that as a halfway decent way of making up for destroying her trust."

Eros was silent.

"Look," Minako said, "If even Yamiko's sister is willing to give you a second chance, shouldn't you give yourself one?"

Eros sighed. "I suppose I'll think about what you've said, Sayoko," he said. "If you're really sure it would be better if I involved myself in her life again...but honestly, if it was really such a good idea, wouldn't Yamiko come herself if she felt like forgiving me? Why should I harass her?"

"You know as well as I do that even if Yamiko forgave you, she would never have the balls to come here and say so," Sayoko said. "Moreover, why should she forgive you when the only thing you've done to apologize is sit around and mope on Aphrodite? Not exactly a heroic act of atonement."

Eros looked away. "Maybe...maybe you have a point. I suppose that in a way, if I stay here and do nothing, it's almost as if I don't care at all--or I'm just being petulant, instead of considerate. I'll think about what you two have said. Is there any point to your further harassing me?"

"Oh," Minako said, "before I forget, I'd like you to come with me to see a play.'"

"Is that an order or a request?" Eros said lifting an eyebrow.

Venus looked pleasantly surprised. "I can give you orders?"

Eros raised an eyebrow. "Well...yes," he said. Then added hastily, "Depending on the nature of the order." Lest Minako get any...unusual ideas.

"Okay, then it's an order," she said. "But don't worry, we'll have fun."

Sayoko snickered.

"Oh, shut up, Sayoko," he replied.

* * *

Kazeko smiled gently as she walked into classroom, bearing a medium-sized wooden box with acorns and leaves carved on the front; twisting, lacy branches were intertwined between them. "I brought fidchell," she said. "So we can play it on a proper board today."

Fuyuko clapped her hands together excitedly. "Awesome!"

Kazeko opened the box and pulled out a wooden board, which she delicately unfolded. It was divided up into squares with thin, delicate celtic knots burnt in wood; Kazeko set the high king in the center, an anthropomorphized oak tree who played a harp formed of its own branches. Around him she set four men in armor, swords in their hands. Then she set down five black, vaguely anthropomorphic crows, their wings splayed upward and forward.

"Wow," Fuyuko said, "Those crows...they look so menacing."

"Crows are harbingers of death," Kazeko replied, "and symbols of war."

"Are they evil?" Fuyuko said, thinking of Phobos and Deimos, Rei's guardian crows.

"No," Kazeko said, holding back a grin. "They are aspects of the Morrigan--Sailor Mars, as you call her, along with Phobos and Deimos. Death and war were inevitable parts of life, ones that still come to us when we are unfortunate. But if Morrigan is a sign of a struggle, she gives us the power as warriors to defeat our enemies...and, if she favors us, she will make things harder for them."

"Really?" Fuyuko replied. "Do you really think Sailor Mars determines the outcome of battle?" she said. "You playing the high king or the crows?"

"You may play whichever you like," Kazeko replied. "Some people think that the high king is easier, but I'm not sure I hold with that. Anyway," she continued, "Don't you think that Sailor Mars determines the outcome of battle?"

"Well..." Fuyuko paused. "I guess sorta. But I'm not sure she decides it any more than any of the other sailor senshi. I'll play the crows," she added, making a move.

"Hm," Kazeko said. "But Sailor Mars has the power of fire. Isn't that destruction in its purest form?"

"Yeah, but y'know," Fuyuko said, "Sailor Saturn has the power of death and rebirth. So isn't _that_ destruction in it's purest form?"

"Well..." Kazeko looked perplexed.

"Anyway, I thought, since you accepted your destiny as you-know-who and all, you didn't believe that senshi were gods."

Kazeko paused. "I guess I haven't completely decided whether I'm a god, too...or none of us are."

"Do I look like a god to you?" Fuyuko asked.

Kazeko sighed. "It's just...I have a lot of memories worshipping the Tuatha de Danann...with...with my family." The grove of oak trees appeared so clearly in Kazeko's mind...14 oak trees, one for each senshi, with the first, and biggest, oak standing in the center. The tree of Serenity. Kazeko remembered placing stones or making prayers or even summoning elements beneath those trees...remembered watching her mother show her how it was done.

And then...

"Kazeko?" Fuyuko said, watching as Kazeko's eyes became dark and her face became pale and feverish.

"W-w-what?" she said suddenly, gripping her arms in her hands.

"Are you okay?" she said, alarmed. "You look kinda like someone just stepped on your grave..."

Kazeko shuddered. "P-please...don't say that."

"I'm sorry," Fuyuko said, looking at her friend with deep concern. "Look, maybe we should play another game. Blokus, maybe?"

"No...it's okay. I just...my f-f-faith...it was..." she shook her head. "It's all I have left of them." She pulled out a purple handkerchief and brushed it surreptitiously across her face.

Apparently, it was not just her brother that Kazeko had lost. "Com'on," she said, "let's go do something relaxing for awhile. I know I sure don't feel like playing board games when I'm in a cruddy mood."

Surprising herself as much as anyone, Kazeko weakly nodded as Fuyuko gently took her hand and led her away.

* * *

"So, what do you like to do when you're depressed?" Fuyuko asked. "Me, I like to watch movies--especially funny movies." Fuyuko had brought Kazeko to a nearby park; she figured that somewhere quiet and calming would be a good change of pace.

"I can't really get into a movie when I'm thinking about something," Kazeko said. "A lot of times, I like to commune with trees when I'm upset, but...I don't know. Right now I think that would cut to the quick even more, since using my power would make me think even more of home, and my family, who taught me to use it."

"You can talk to trees?"

"Yes," Kazeko said.

"What is that like?"

Kazeko paused thoughtfully. "It's not like talking to a person at all. You get impressions and memories from trees...sometimes very vague thoughts. But you can't really carry on a conversation with a tree--and you certainly couldn't play a game of chess."

"What's the point?" Fuyuko asked.

"Trees are useful," she said. "They can give you positive energy or take negative energy away. Plus, communing with a tree is a little like meditation...for awhile, you're forced to slow down and empty your mind."

"What do you mean by taking negative energy away?" Fuyuko asked. "You mean, you can just put your bad feelings in a tree?"

"Well, sort of..." Kazeko said. "It's not something you want to do carelessly. A tree is a living thing, and if you put your feelings into it, they become the feelings of the tree. So you have to be careful...you must do it with the permission of the tree."

"Hmm..." Fuyuko looked at the grove of cherry trees that grew in the park. "Funky. Even with the needing permission and stuff, it sounds like it would be nice to be able to put your bad feelings in a tree. Plus you'd be able to talk to the tree when you're lonely."

"It's not like that," Kazeko said. "Trees aren't a replacement for people." she glanced at Fuyuko. "Do you have trouble relating to you sisters?"

"Nah, I love my sisters," she said. "I guess sometimes there's just stuff I can't talk about with them. I mean...kinda like you don't want to talk about certain stuff with your family, y'know? Personal stuff, or the hobbies you know they think are boring or dumb. Er--" she blushed. "I guess that's probably kinda a bad thing to bring up right now..."

"It's okay," Kazeko said. "You don't have any family either, except for your sisters."

"Yeah," she said, "I don't even know if I have any parents, or if I do, who they are." Fuyuko sat down on a bench underneath a maple tree, and Kazeko joined her.

"I've always wondered..." Kazeko said awkwardly. "Your hair, it's..."

"Weird as all get out?" Fuyuko laughed. "I know. But I've always worn it this way. I've thought of changing it, but nothing feels right. It feels too boring down, and I'm no good at styling it..." she shrugged. "I guess it's for the best. When I transform, it'll go back into this style regardless. Anyway, I am sort of attached to it...although I wouldn't mind doing something different now and again."

"Well, it's not like you transform every single day," Kazeko remarked. "As for styling it, maybe I could teach you. My mother taught me how to braid hair really well."

This seemed to pique Fuyuko's interest. "Really?" she said. "That sounds like fun. But why don't we go to the Crystal Palace...we'd probably look kinda weird, braiding each other's hair in the middle of a park."

Kazeko smiled weakly. "You seem to be taking me a lot of places today," she said. Fuyuko just shrugged.

* * *

"Seisui," Erik said, approaching her as she put on her navy blue sneakers. She looked up as she finished lacing her shoes; Erik stood out starkly against the exiting students and teachers; he was dark, extremely tall, and rather foreboding. "Do you want to train this afternoon?"

"Sure," She replied noncommittally. "Let me send a message to my mother and let her know where I'll be, so she doesn't worry and think I'm fighting." Seisui pulled out her phone and quickly typed a message. "Okay," she said.

"I apologize in advance," Erik said. "It's a rather long trip."

"It's okay," Seisui replied. "I can read Jane Eyre on the train."

"Are you enjoying it?" Erik asked as disinterestedly as humanly possible.

"Yes," Seisui said. "I like Jane. She always tries to be honest with herself...with other people."

"Yes," he agreed. "Jane reminds me a little of you that way." Seisui gave a polite smile but said nothing. "How far are you?"

"Jane is at the estate now," Seisui replied. "Having an obvious crush on Mr. Rochester."

Erik chuckled a little at this. The bus stopped and they got in and sat down.

"Where is Ikkoku?" Seisui asked.

"She goes home ahead of me, most of the time," Erik replied. "Sometimes she hides in my bag, but that's hard to manage, not to speak of the discomfort. She's a bird, so she can fly much faster than we can walk. And she can go in a straight line."

"Did you ever find out where she was from--who she is?"

"No," Erik replied a little ruefully. "But the more I talk to her, the more I feel like she's either known me for a long time, or has made me the subject of a lot of research."

* * *

Haruko frowned deeply as she walked toward the Crystal Palace, Diana's tiny paws pitter-pattering beside her. Usako had declared that she was going on a date with her boyfriend; Hiroshi, his face beet red, had happily followed behind her.

"I wish you wouldn't look so dejected, Miss Haruko," Diana said, concerned. "You look as though someone ripped out a piece of you."

"My sisters are gone," she said flatly. "So...I suppose that's not far from the truth."

Diana looked down at the ground thoughtfully. "But it's not like they're dead," she replied. "I mean...you don't think they hate you, do you?"

Haruko sighed. "I don't know. It's just...if hanging around me were really so great, Diana, why would they feel like they need go off and do their own thing?"

"Well, Lady Serenity left just now to spend time with sir Helios," Diana remarked. "Does that mean she doesn't like you?"  
"That's different," Haruko retorted. "They're in love. The Quartet...we only have each other."

Diana looked up at Haruko's dejected face. Although Haruko bossed around her sisters as much like a mother as a sibling, Diana suddenly realized that Haruko relied on them as much as they did her. "You know they still care about you, right?"

"Do they?" Haruko looked at the clouds passing overhead. "Diana, can you keep this conversation between us?"

"Of course," she said sincerely.

"I'm beginning to feel like.." Haruko hesitated. "Maybe it's my own fault."

"But why, Miss Haruko?"

"Because...well, I'm better than I was when we were working for Neherenia, but let's face it...I've always been kind of bossy toward them."

"You're their leader," Diana protested. "It's only natural that you'd direct them."

"Maybe so," Haruko agreed. "But...maybe I've been a little heavy-handed about it. I..." she sighed. "Before, it was like...they never even thought of not listening to me. Maybe now that they realize there's nothing forcing them to follow me, they don't see any reason to...even worse, they see a lot of reasons not to."

"What reasons would they have not to?" Diana asked.

"Oh, let's not beat around the bush," She said, flopping down on a nearby bench. "Diana, everyone thinks I'm a stuck up bitch."

"No!" Diana protested. "That's not true. If it were really so bad as that, why would they have stuck with you as long as they have?"

Haruko frowned. "Somehow, that isn't very reassuring."

"Well, I don't think you are," she added.

"Diana, you like everybody."

"T-that's not true!" she said.

"Oh yeah?" Haruko said, looking at her accusingly. "Name one person you don't like."

Diana looked flustered. "Well, I..." she paused. "Sometimes I think Princess Uranus is rather too abrasive."

Haruko looked at Diana a little agog and then laughed. "Diana," she said, "You are just too funny."

"Well," she said huffily, "See--I don't like everyone!"

"Still," Haruko added, "not everyone is as good-natured as you, Diana."

"Well...." Diana frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe if you're so worried about them not liking you, you could do something to endear them to you."

"Like what?" Haruko asked. "At this point, it seems like anything I do will seem like an empty gesture to get back in their good graces."

Diana sighed. "Well...maybe since they feel like they want to express themselves more, you could get them something supportive of their endeavors...like...maybe show that you want them to succeed."

"But I'm not sure that I do," Haruko replied. "I think a part of me would rather they fail, so they hang around more."

"Maybe that's the problem," Diana replied. "Miss Haruko, I think perhaps the reason they are expressing themselves has less to do with thinking you're stuck up and more to do with the fact that they feel you keep too tight a leash on them. Maybe seeing Lady Serenity finally branch off from her mother has made them realize that they, too, want to find themselves."

She sighed. "Have I really been such a bad leader?" she asked.

"You haven't had to do much leading as of yet, miss Haruko," Diana replied. "The Moon Senshi are the first antagonists you have faced without the aid of the Planetary Senshi, and they are hardly a representative example of most of the adversaries the senshi been fighting. But for what it's worth, I think you have done admirably so far! You quickly got to the bottom of who Seisui was; and because of you, Lady Serenity was able to have her independence. And anyway," she added, "it's true that the others have gained some interests of their own, but when it comes to battle, do you really think they'd hesitate to follow you?"

Haruko stood up; she looked a little relieved. "Maybe you're right."

"I think you should make an effort to be supportive of the others, even if you don't like that they're branching off," Diana said. "Go to Natsuko's track meet...and if Fuyuko has a chess competition, you should go to that, too. I think if you show that you care about them, even if you don't really understand why they're doing what they're doing, it will make you even closer. And also...I think that, perhaps, you will come to understand why they've done what they've done."

"I'll try, Diana," Haruko said. "Even if I don't entirely understand their reasoning."

"Well, if you don't mind my suggesting so, perhaps you should join a club as well, Miss Haruko! Your sisters are loyal to you; you don't need to worry about their decisions. Rather, I think it would be exciting to follow their lead and try and find some calling of you own."

Haruko sighed. "Maybe you're right, Diana...sitting around getting depressed about it certainly doesn't seem to be helping.

* * *

Tokimo watched, surprise evident on her face, as Yamiko ended her self-imposed exile and walked into the living room. She looked around listlessly and then stared just as dumbfoundedly back at Tokimo.

"Where is Sayoko?" she asked at last, her voice devoid of any energy.

"Uh..." Tokimo stammered. "She went to the Crystal Palace. She wanted to talk to Eros."

"Oh," Yamiko said. "Do you know where she's keeping my medicine?"

Tokimo frowned. "She told me not to let you take anything."

Yamiko groaned. "I just need my sleep medication. Please. I just want to sleep."

Tokimo stared at Yamiko. She looked like she had seen better days...and considering who she was talking about, that was saying something. But Sayoko had been very explicit in her directions not to give Yamiko anything while she was gone.

"Fine," Yamiko said at last. "I'll just have some alcohol."

"No!" Tokimo said. "You're underage. And you'll become an alcoholic. And trust me, you got enough problems as it is."

Yamiko flashed her a dirty look. "Okay then. I'll just stand here and wallow in my own misery until she gets back. Happy?"

"Not really," Tokimo replied. "Here. Let's do something until she gets back...take your mind off of things."

"Like what?" Yamiko said disinterestedly.

"We could play..." Tokimo looked thoughtful. "Go fish!"

"Great," Yamiko said. "Less fun than a barrel full of monkeys."

"Okay fine," Tokimo said, thinking. "How about...checkers? We could play that. You must have a checker board."

"I don't want to play a game," Yamiko said.

Tokimo sighed. "Okay, maybe you should...I dunno...read a book. You like...reading."

Yamiko flopped on the couch. "I...I don't have the energy for it."

Tokimo stood up and walked over to the massive bookshelf built into the wall. The whole middle shelf was nothing but cookbooks, but there was still a sizable collection of other works as well. None of them looked very familiar, and most of them looked either very depressing or not something she felt very comfortable reading aloud. There was one book that she thought looked promising; it was called _The Little Prince. _Tokimo pulled this book off the shelf. It was thin enough that she could probably read it in an afternoon. It looked interesting. Tokimo sat down next to Yamiko, who was looking dejectedly out the window and biting her lip as though she were trying to keep from crying. "All right," Tokimo said. "I'll read a book to you."

"I don't feel like it," Yamiko replied.

"It's okay," Tokimo said. "You'll get into it once I start. Let's see....'Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called _True Stories From Nature_, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal...'" Tokimo continued to read from the book while Yamiko passively listened. She half-expected Yamiko to become indignant and make her stop, but surprisingly, she just sat down and listened. Tokimo was surprised to find that she liked this story. It was about how adults were stupid, which was pretty much the truth. And it had a picture of a boa constrictor eating an elephant. It reminded Tokimo a little bit of _Night on the Galactic Railroad_, but not on fuzz. Tokimo read for a long time--she read and read and read some more. Her voice was getting a little tired, but she didn't want to stop, because Yamiko seemed less upset, and she was listening to the story. Eventually, she heard a soft, low breathing. Glancing at Yamiko, Tokimo realized she had fallen asleep.

"Hm," she said quietly. "See, Yamiko? Bedtime stories work way better than any stupid drugs." Tokimo sighed and looked at the cover of the book; getting up, she went to the kitchen and got herself a glass of milk and some kind of biscuity-looking thing with raisins in it. She sat down and kept reading the book while she ate her biscuit thing.

Tokimo was most of the way through the book when the door opened and Sayoko walked through. "How is--" she shut her mouth as she saw Yamiko asleep on the couch. Sayoko looked toward Tokimo. "How is she?" she said more quietly.

Tokimo shrugged. "Pretty bad. But I read her this book and she seemed to pick up a bit." Tokimo held up _The Little Prince_ to Sayoko.

Sayoko quietly walked toward her and took the book from Tokimo. "Oh," she said, smiling a little. "This was one of my favorites when we were little. I used to make our nanny read it to us."

"Did Yamiko like it, too?"

"Hmm," Sayoko said thoughtfully. "Even as a kid, she was sullen and quiet. But I think she did. She didn't complain when I wanted to listen to it."

Tokimo stared at Yamiko thoughtfully. "It's weird to think of Yamiko as a little kid."

Sayoko chuckled. "Not like you, Tokimo. It's weird to think of you as anything _but_ a kid."

Tokimo stuck out her tongue. "Yeah, well--better that than to be like Yamiko."

Sayoko's smile faded and she looked at her sister sadly. "You may be right about that," she said. "Anyway, Tokimo, you can head on home now if you like."

Tokimo looked at Yamiko, concerned. "Let me know if you need any more help, okay, Sayoko?" she said.

"Thanks, Tokimo," Sayoko said.

"C'mon, Kouken," Tokimo said quietly. Kouken had been sleeping on the couch nearby; he pricked up his head at the mention of his name and climbed on Tokimo's shoulder. "Let's go."

* * *

Mauros watched the peonies from the bench as they swayed gently in the breeze. A few of them had toppled over onto the ground; he grabbed one of the flower heads and pinched it between his fingers until the flower came off of the stem. He admired the dark, burgundy flower, it's petals deeply cupped around bright yellow stamen.

"Hiya," Mayumi called from behind him. Mauros turned around, blossom still in his hand, and looked at her like a child afraid of being punished. He looked guiltily down at the flower and pretended like she wasn't there. "What's wrong, Kuro?" she asked, concerned. "Did something happen?"

"Brother says I can't talk to you," Mauros said guiltily. "He says...you'll make it so I can never see him again."

"What?" Mayumi said, shocked. "Kuro...I would never come between you and your brother. Heck, I haven't even met the guy!"

Mauros frowned. Mayumi seemed so nice...but Coeus had said...

"Anyway," she said, frowning, "Kuro, I want to be your friend. I know this'll sound kinda, weird, but...even just talking to you for a little while yesterday...I feel like you're a lot more upfront and honest than my other friends."

"I don't have any friends," Kuro replied, "except for my brother."

"Then won't you be mine?" Mayumi asked. "If you like."

"But...my brother said..."

"Then your brother doesn't have to know," Mayumi said, a little frustrated. "Look, I understand that maybe he doesn't know me, and thinks I'm not trustworthy. But the only person who can keep you from your brother is you. Nothing I say or do can force you apart. So if I say something like 'Kuro, I don't think you should hang out with your brother anymore,' then we'll know he's right and you should stop hanging out with me, 'kay?"

Mauros mulled this over. It seemed like a good argument. but....

"And anyway," she added, "we don't have to tell your brother that you're hanging out with me."

"Oh, but I couldn't keep something from my brother," Mauros protested. "He wouldn't like that."

"Well, we're not doing it to make him sad," Mayumi said. "We're only doing it because he's being silly. Someday we'll tell him, okay? When we're real good friends and we can get him used to me gradually-like."

Mauros looked thoughtfully down at his flower. He did like Mayumi. "Well...I guess we could wait to tell him. If I just wait, it's not like I'm really keeping something from him. Not really."

"That's the spirit!" Mayumi said. "Now. I brought you something!"

"Oh?" Mauros said, his interest piqued.

"I have tea and snacks!" she announced, holding up a lunchbox tied with a bright red sash. "I asked my chef to make double lunch today, so we could share a meal."

"Are they cream horns?" he asked.

"No," Mayumi said with a smile. "This food is a bit more...um...foody." She sat down on the bench and untied her lunchbox. She handed Mauros a sandwich and picked one for herself; Mauros ate the dainty finger food with relish and took another from the box.

"So, are you waiting for that guy again this time?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, Kane. No," Mauros said. "My brother leaves me here while he's investigating."

"What does he investigate?" Mayumi asked. "Is he a detective?"

Mauros looked a little confused. "A what?"

"A detective. It's a person who finds out information about people. And solves crimes."

"Oh!" Mauros said. "Yeah, I think that's what he's doing. Something like that."

"Do you know when he's coming back?" Mayumi asked.

"Not for a few hours," Mauros said. "We can finish this."

"I have some tea, too," she said, pouring him some.

Mauros frowned as he drank it. "It's bitter!"

Mayumi laughed. "Sorry. Yeah...it is a little bitter." She glanced at the peony, which Mauros had placed delicately beside him on the bench when they sat down. "So...where are you from, Kuro?"

Mauros paused, unsure of how to answer. He was pretty sure that telling Mayumi where he was from was not a good idea, and was only liable to shock her. "I live...nearby." he said awkwardly.

"Oh, so do I! We must live near each other. Where do you live around here?" she asked.

This made Mauros very uncomfortable. "Umm..." he looked flustered.

Comprehension dawned on Mayumi's face. Clearly, Kuro didn't live in a house at all, but in this park with his brother. That would explain his loitering around here. "Well, it doesn't really matter," she added quickly. "I know where to find you." Mauros looked visibly relieved at these words. "Do you have any hobbies, Kuro? Or interests?"

Mauros looked at her blankly. "Hobbies?"

Carrying on a conversation with Kuro was turning out to be something of a trial. He didn't have any interests, didn't live anywhere, and didn't seem to know anything. Mayumi suddenly felt a little guilty for being so stingy about the Serenity Benefit Ball. Clearly, being poor sucked. "Kuro," she said, "do you like music?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "I'm pretty certain that I don't hate it, at least."

"Would you like to go to one of my concerts?" she asked. "I would love to know you were in the audience."

"One of your concerts?"

Mayumi smiled. "I'm a performing artist," she explained. "That is, I sing for a living."

"Oh," Mauros said, interested. "I would be very interested to hear you sing. I imagine that you must sound very nice. When you talk it sounds very nice."

Mayumi blushed at little. "Oh, Kuro--that's so sweet."

"Is it?" Mauros said, perplexed.

"Yes," she said, "you are just too cute."

"I'm not sure I've ever really thought of myself as cute," Mauros replied. "In fact, I'm not sure that anyone has ever really thought of me as cute."

"Well, they're silly," Mayumi said.

"If you say so," Mauros replied. He looked suddenly sullen and reflective.

"What's wrong?" Mayumi asked.

"Mayumi," he said, "Thank you for being my friend. All of my other friends...even my brother, too...they aren't as nice to me as you."

"Well, then they aren't very good friends," Mayumi replied.

Mauros looked uncomfortable at this suggestion. "But Coeus saved me," he said.

"Saved you from what?" Mayumi asked.

Mauros paused. "I can't talk about it," he finally said.

"It's okay," Mayumi sympathetically replied. "You don't have to talk about it."

Mauros put his head in his hands. "I'd like to...but I can't. I...it's just...I can't."

"No, really," Mayumi said soothingly, "it's okay, Kuro. Here..." she pulled two small pieces of paper from her bag. "My father gave me these extra tickets for my concert next week. I hope you and your brother will come." she took his hand and closed it around the tickets. "Let me know if you need a ride, okay?"

"Are you leaving?" Mauros asked, a little disappointed.

Mayumi smiled sadly. "I have to," she said. "I can't stay long, or Mr. Seki and my dad will wonder what I've gotten up to."

"Will you be back tomorrow?"

"Always, Kuro," she replied.

* * *

Kazeko had to admit to feeling uncomfortable being in the Crystal Palace. She had spent most of her life worshipping this as the most sacred of temples, and now Fuyuko was casually walking to her room like this was any ordinary house. It clearly wasn't, between the sparkling walls and opulent decoration. Fuyuko brought her to a large bedroom that was decorated with pale blue and bright pink curtains. There was a series of shelves of detailed, foot-tall dolls with intricate clothing. Kazeko couldn't help but be a little bit amazed...many of their faces were delicate and elfin, some cute and childish, but there was something vaguely otherworldly about all of them.

"W-what are they?" Kazeko asked, looking toward the dolls.

"Oooooooh!" Fuyuko said excitedly, "Those are my dollies!" she ran over to the shelves and delicately picked one up. It had light blue hair tied into the exact same hairstyle Fuyuko wore hers in, and it was wearing her senshi fuku, complete with white boots. "Look at this one!" she said happily. "They made a special series of dollies based on the Sailor Senshi when they heard I was a fan, and they sent me a free set!" she grinned. "

"They're so delicate-looking," Kazeko remarked. "They certainly aren't like regular children's toys."

"It's because they aren't children's toys," she said. "They're special dolls...lots of care and tons of work is put into each and every one of them. Some people just collect them and never take them out of the box, but I think that's a shame. I like to put them in costumes, and um...I like to role-play with them. I know that's a little weird..."

"I'm in no position to call someone else weird," Kazeko said with a smile.

"Anyway, I thought we could practice on the dolly version of me," she said, taking off the bizarre hairpiece that mirrored Fuyuko's own and undoing the top bun.

"Oh, but--" Kazeko looked awkward. "I couldn't...if they're as special as you say, it must be very valuable."

"Bah," Fuyuko said dismissively. "I got it for free, remember? Now tell me, what kind of braids do you know?"

Kazeko gently took the doll and looked at its hair. "There's a type of braid called a halo braid," she explained, beginning to work on the doll's hair, "that partitions off part of your hair and makes a loop around the top, and another one, hanging loosely, around the back of your head."

"Sort of like your hair?"

"A little," Kazeko replied, continuing to work on the doll, "but much more complicated than how I wear my hair." She continued working in silence for quite some time, and then showed her handiwork to Fuyuko. There was a tight french braid over the top of the doll's head, not unlike a headband; another braid hung more loosely across the back of the doll's head, intertwined with two or three more.

"Wow!" Fuyuko exclaimed. "That's amazing, Kazeko! I didn't know you were such a master with braids!" Kazeko shrugged modestly. "I'm surprised you don't braid your hair more elaborately at school. I mean, come on--you have such nice red hair. I would."

"It's a little complicated for everyday wear, in my opinion," Kazeko replied. "It took me about twenty minutes to do this one, and there are braids much more complicated than that. But then, I suppose your sisters and other members of the royal family have hairstyles that are as elaborate, or more so, than this one."

"You can say that again," Fuyuko said. "Although mine's not as bad as their hair. But I'd like to try wearing my hair like this. Can you teach me?"

"Sure," Kazeko said. Once she explained how to weave her hair into the elaborate braid, Fuyuko practiced on the doll. After she seemed to have mastered it, Kazeko let her practice on her own bright red hair. Then she helped Fuyuko braid her own hair, which was no small feat to accomplish on her own head. By the time they had finished, Fuyuko's stomach was making an audible growl. She glanced at her clock.

"Ah!" she cried. "It's nearly time for dinner. Won't you join us?"

Kazeko's face became as ghostly pale--which was a weird sight for someone so pale already. "I--you don't mean, with the whole royal family?"

"Of course," Fuyuko replied.

"I...there's no way I could," she said. She couldn't even imagine feeling hungry in front of the royal family. The very thought of it made her sick to her stomach, so she feared actually eating would make her--well, it didn't bear thinking about.

"Oh, come on, you'll be fine," she said, grabbing Kazeko's wrist and pulling her along.

* * *

Seisui's jaw dropped as Erik pulled his modest Honda into driveway. It practically looked like an old-fashioned inn; a sprawling Japanese house with impressively large grounds for its distance from Tokyo. There was a large, open, barn-like structure and a patch of neatly mowed grass.

"This is where you _live_?!" she exclaimed.

"No, this is Ikkoku's house," he remarked dryly.

"I let Erik stay here sometimes," Ikkoku added.

Seisui just rolled her eyes. "You can't have bought this place on a teacher's salary," she said.

"He didn't," Ikkoku interjected. "He inherited it from his grandfather." she paused thoughtfully. "Didn't get to keep any of his parents' stuff, though."

"We don't talk about that," Erik snappishly replied.

Seisui looked at Erik wonderingly but said nothing.

"His mother, Amy, used to be the chancellor of Germany, you know," Ikkoku said. "And his dad was--"

"--a councilor in Crystal Tokyo...Erik, you're one of _those_ vonDarkmoors? Then that--" Seisui remembered back to when she had taken the music box from the Queen's room. She knew something about it had bothered her at the time. She vaguely remembered reading about the death of the beloved politicians of Germany when she was younger--how it had come out that they'd amassed a fortune in debt, and everything had been sold.

Erik said nothing. His face was coldly inscrutable. There was something almost frightening about his emotionless visage; she had not seen him quite so closed off since he had protected the princess from her. And that seemed so long ago now...

Erik walked over to the mowed field and motioned to a barrel of shinai. "Take one. I'll need to find some bougu that will fit you," he said, refering to the protective gear of kendo. He headed toward the barn.

Seisui walked over to the barrel and took one. "It's funny," she said as he walked away, "That you teach kendo, since you're from Germany."

He stopped and turned back toward her. "I learned that, also, from my grandfather. But I do know western fencing."

"...like with a rapier?"

"None of the three disciplines of western fencing are based on the use of a rapier," Erik replied. "The style that makes use of the lightest weapon, foil, is based on a very short, thin piercing weapon known as a small sword; epée used exactly what it says, and the same with saber."

"Really?" Seisui said, surprised. "I had no idea. I've always been curious to try western sword fighting. My father was half-western himself."

"Then put back the shinai," Erik said. "I'll get you a foil, mask and jacket." Erik glanced at her a little awkwardly. "Did you bring pants to change into?"

"Yes, I did."

"Ikkoku, show her where the bathroom is," Erik said. Ikkoku fluttered down onto the porch and looked expectantly toward Seisui. Seisui followed after her with her school bag in tow.

When Seisui had changed into her tank top and leggings and returned outside, Erik appeared to be reviewing his technique, lunging forward, then retreating and parrying an invisible blade. As Seisui approached him, he swung his foil down, tossed it a few inches into the air and caught it on the blade beneath the guard. "All right then," he said. "First thing's first. I'll teach you the stance." He demonstrated the proper position and handed Seisui a foil and glove; Seisui made her best attempt to copy it.

He shook his head. "You need to bend your knees more in the en garde position," he told her.

Seisui grimaced and bent her knees. "Is it supposed to be so uncomfortable?"

"Yes," he said. "At first, anyway. And make sure your front heel is perpendicular to the center of your back foot." Seisui did her best, but she seemed to be having a great deal of trouble. "Here," Erik said, and he stood next to her and corrected her flawed positioning by hand. Seisui flushed a little--but Erik didn't seem to think anything of it, so she tried to take it in stride. He demonstrated a lunge and asked Seisui to do one. She did, and again, he corrected her positioning and asked her to do it another time. This went on for what seemed like forever to Seisui, but Erik didn't seem to become impatient or frustrated; he simply took things one lunge at a time until she seemed to be getting it.

"Keep practicing. I'll be right back with some water for you," he said, heading toward the house. Seisui sighed.

* * *

Tokimo held her locket high above her head.

"Why in Sol's name are you transforming?" Kouken asked.

"Charon prism power, make up!" Tokimo cried. Space blurred around her as her senshi uniform appeared. "'Cause," she said, "I need to talk to Eros. And to do that, I need to go to aphro-land--"

"Aphrodite," Kouken corrected her.

"Right," she said. "So I'm gonna need to teleport."

"I don't think you can--"

Sailor Charon held her Naginata high above her head and disappeared.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Tokimo groaned, opening her eyes. She could hear the gentle babbling of a brook nearby. Or a stream, or a fountain. Something. Whatever. Eros sat next to her; she moaned in pain as she sat up.

She was in a large, ornate room of gold; she was sitting on a huge bed with thick curtains pulled back around its tall posts. A small stream of water was flowing into a marble basin beneath it, splashing cheerfully. "Wow," Tokimo remarked. "This place looks...expensive."

Eros chuckled half-heartedly. "So, how did you manage to get here on your own? Did you teleport again?"

Tokimo looked surprised. "You knew I could teleport?"

"Yes," Eros replied. "I was there when you teleported to Nemesis and back. But I'm not surprised you don't remember; I was a fair ways off, and I imagine you had other things on your mind."

"Huh. You're right, I don't remember," she replied. "Anyway, I need your advice."

"My advice? I'm not sure I have any good advice to give, but ask away, I suppose," he said apathetically.

"I need you to help me make Coeus fall in love with me."

Eros looked at Tokimo, dumbfounded.

"The priest of love and that's the best you've got?" she said, annoyed.

"...for the sake of all that's holy...why would you want to seduce Coeus? First of all, he's a misogynistic prick. Second of all, he's working for a woman who wants to destroy Sol. Third of all, he has a creepy relationship with his brother, the nature of which I have never fully comprehended and honestly don't want to--also, did I mention that he's a misogynistic prick?"

"What's a miso-soup-ginistic?" Tokimo asked.

"Misogynistic. It's a special word we use for chauvinists."

Tokimo looked at him blankly.

"He's sexist, Tokimo. He hates women."

"Oh!" Tokimo said comprehendingly. "Well, I guess that'll make things take a little longer, huh?"

Eros sighed. "What made you decide this was a good idea? Don't tell me you actually fancy him?"

"No!" Tokimo replied vehemently. "He's a jerk-face. But hey, I figured falling in love made you go good, so--"

"You can't seriously be thinking of seducing Coeus to make him go good!" Eros said, disgusted. "Even assuming such a plan would work, Tokimo, do you have any intention of staying with him if you were to succeed?"

Tokimo frowned. "Well, I guess it kinda depends. I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

"There's no way I would help you in such an endeavor. Frankly, Tokimo--how is your doing that any different than what I did to Yamiko? You'd be using Coeus for your own ends, not helping him out of any genuine concern."

"But..." Tokimo looked a little crestfallen at this. "I want to make the rest of the priests go good. And anyway, if I did end up liking him, I'd stay with him."

"That's a big 'if'," Eros replied. "Frankly, an unlikely one, given Coeus' less-than-likable personality. And anyway, if you decided you didn't like him, you'd hardly be doing our side any favors--when he found out you'd used him, he'd be giving Nemesis even more negative energy, would feel even more resolved to follow her, and would hate women even more. I doubt that's the outcome you're hoping for."

"But..."

"I have nothing more to say on this matter," Eros replied. "I will teleport you back home. I hope you'll reconsider this idea, Tokimo--though honestly, I think your chances of success are slim to none anyway."

Tokimo frowned. That sounded like a challenge.

* * *

Jirou hugged his knees as he tried to block out the memory of the smell of Chikao's skin burning.

His brother was practically father's ashtray. He covered his face with his hands. He was powerless to stop it. If he tried, he knew he would only make things worse for his brother. Meimi sat down next to him, a liter of vodka in her hand. She held it out to Jirou. "When he gets like this," Meimi said, "There's not much else to do about it."

Jirou glanced at the vodka and looked away. "If I did that, how would I be any different than him?"

Meimi shrugged and took a sip from the bottle. "You may be right," she said. "But otherwise, how do we survive?"

Jirou shook his head. "I'm leaving," he said. "I'll be at Fubuki's place."

She scoffed. "At least I don't leave when things get bad," she said.

"What use is there in my staying here?" Jirou asked. "I can't do anything for him, and neither can you. All we can do is hope that it's over quickly."

"And when it's over, where will you be?" she asked. Jirou was silent.

"Call me," he said at last. "And I'll come to pick up the pieces."

* * *

Fubuki glanced down from the balcony as she heard the doorbell ring. She could see Jirou at the entryway, shuffling absent-mindedly and looking at the ground.

"Jirou," she said, "Howzzit going?"

Jirou looked up at her, his face troubled.

"That bad, huh?" she replied. "Is it your asshole parents again?"

Jirou sighed. "Think you could transform and crush their faces?"

"Sure," Fubuki replied. "When do you want me to do it?"

Jirou shook his head in disbelief. "Only you would take that seriously."

Fubuki shrugged. "What reason is there _not_ to kill them? Have they ever done anything for you--or your brothers and sisters?"

"They pay the rent," he said. "It pisses me off, but I still need them for that."

Fubuki sighed. "I wonder if my mom would notice if I moved you into the house. If we put you in the basement, I bet she wouldn't..."

"Fubuki, that would never work."

"I dunno...she's pretty fucking oblivious. She just comes home and sleeps and leaves. If you made sure to go to bed early enough and get up late enough, I bet she'd never notice."

"It might work for awhile, but eventually she'd notice. We couldn't stay there all the time, and one of us would come up when she was there. Or she'd go down there and see that someone was living there, even if we weren't around at the time, when she went in the basement to get something. Or, Serenity, at the very least she'd notice the food bill."

Fubuki frowned. "She is fucking stingy when it comes to money," she said. "Say, maybe you could convince Chibi-Usa to purify them."

Jirou shook his head. "After all Seisui put her through about that? I doubt it. Maybe it's worth a try, but...I wouldn't start making plans."

"Well, why don't you come in, anyway," she said, pulling out her cell phone and unlocking the door remotely. "No reason to brood on the front steps."

Jirou opened the door and went inside; eventually, he reappeared at the balcony.

"Michito gave us some cookies," he said, tossing the tin to Fubuki, who caught it in her hands and pulled the lid off. They were spritz cookies.

"Sweet," she said, eating one. "So, if you're not going to live in my basement, what are you going to do?"

"Not sure," he said, sighing. He scoffed. "I could be like Meimi, and drink."

Fubuki swallowed another cookie. "Fuck, who could blame you? But isn't that the problem with your dad?"

Jirou shrugged. "Hell, I'm not sure if it's that he drinks, or if he's just an asshole. Or both. Anyway," He continued, "I'm not going to drink. Someone has to be responsible, since it obviously isn't going to be Meimi."

Fubuki handed him a fuzz stick. "Here," she said. "At least fuzz doesn't make you act like a fuckwad."

Jirou smiled. "Fair enough," he said taking it and lighting up.

They spent a long time sitting together, talking from time to time and taking drags on their fuzz sticks. They looked off into the city beyond the balcony, watching meaningless people go about their meaningless lives. Eventually, Jirou's phone rang.

"It's Meimi," he said, glancing at the screen. "I need to head back. My dad has lost interest in tormenting Chikao."

Fubuki threw him the tin. "Take the rest," she said, looking up at him sadly. Jirou nodded and left the balcony.

"You two are sweet, in your own way," Michito said wryly, coming in and picking up after Fubuki's drugs and the glasses of water she had been drinking.

"I wish I could help him somehow," Fubuki said.

"He'll get through it," Michito said. "He's strong."

"Get through what?" Fubuki replied. "Michito, when you have a crappy parent, there's nothing to fucking get through. You just have to live with the same god damn hell every day of your life, with no end in sight--and there's not a fucking thing you can do about it." she sighed. "I guess eventually you get old enough that you can get a fucking job and high-tail it out--but what about Chikao? He's just a kid. How could Jirou just leave him with that asshole?"

Michito frowned.

"Fuck," she said, "I know you were trying to cheer me up, Michito. But it's just what pisses me off. I hated being so fucking powerless against my mother. For me, getting my powers has finally changed that. But Jirou doesn't have any fucking powers, he..." Fubuki shook her head. "He can't just scare his parents into not fucking his life up."

"Jirou could appeal to the state, you know, Fubuki," Michito suggested. "Try to make his parents lose custody."

Fubuki shook her head. "Then they would all be split up and sent to an orphanage...and fuck, I'm sure sugar-shit Serenity means well, but kids in orphanages never get adopted unless they're babies. No...he's better off just waiting...just waking up to hell each morning until he can break his brother free."

"If I can help, Fubuki....just let me know."

"Thanks, Michito," Fubuki said sadly. "Thanks."

* * *

Tokimo sighed as she sat down on a nearby bench. "Kouken, I haven't found Coeus yet."

"I'm not surprised," Kouken replied. "You've just been wandering aimlessly around town."

Tokimo paused thoughtfully. "I should disguise myself," she said. "If Eros knew who Yamiko was, I bet Coeus might know who I am, too." she looked at Kouken knowingly.

"What?" Kouken said.

"Didn't Sailor Moon have this thingy...it disguised her and stuff?"

"You mean the disguise pen," Kouken replied. "Yeah, she did have something like that."

Tokimo continued to look at Kouken expectantly.

"Oh, god," Kouken said. He sighed. "What do you think I am, some kind of item factory?"

"Looks that way to me," Tokimo said. "Com'on, Kouken, you must be able to make some kind of disguise item," She said. "Pleeeeeeeeaaaaase?"

"I'm not your item factory!"

"Please?"

"No!" he replied.

"Pretty pretty please?" She said, whining.

"Okay, fine, but only if you shut up!" he snapped.

Tokimo smiled. "Of course!"

Kouken closed his eyes and a spiral of light gathered in front of him. A pair of dark purple stud earrings hovered in front of him. "There," he said as they fell on the ground. Tokimo picked them up and put them in her ears.

"How does it work?" she asked.

"Just say what you want to become," he replied. "And leave me the hell alone for a change."

"Okay," Tokimo said excitedly. "What kind of girl do you think Coeus likes?"

"How should I know?" Kouken replied.

"Hm," Tokimo paused. "I know! Since he doesn't like women, I should disguise myself as a tomboy."

"That's hardly a disguise," Kouken said. "Besides, I'm not sure that your logic really makes--"

"Become a blonde tomboyish college student!" Tokimo shouted. She transformed into a girl with a short, blonde pixie cut and overalls with a peasant style shirt underneath. "Okay," she announced. "It's time to go find Coeus, for reals!"

Tokimo continued to wander around town aimlessly for another hour. Eventually, she ended up in a large park; she saw a very distinctive older man with blue hair and eyes walking down a path across from her. "Psst," she said, opening the flap to her bag so Kouken could see. "Is that him?"

"Wow, that's lucky," he said, impressed. "It is."

"See? This is what happens when you leave things up to Tokimo Joshi, master spy!" She ran over to the man and pretended to trip on a wad of turf, slamming into him.

"Ouch!" The man exclaimed, grimacing. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Hey!" Tokimo said, annoyed. "I may have tripped into you, but you don't have to be a jerk-face about it!"

The man pushed her aside thoughtlessly. "Whatever. I don't care."

"Hey!" she said, yelling after him. "Jerk-face!"

"Are those the only two words you know?" the man said derisively. "Honestly, they should have some sort of remedial insult classes."

"I'd rather be bad at insulting people than good at being a jerk-face!"

"Really?" He replied. Tokimo nodded. "Because I think I'd rather be good at being a jerk-face." Tokimo's jaw dropped. "Now if you'll excuse me," he said, turning around, "I need to meet up with--"

"Not so fast!" she cried.

He turned back, looking at her in confusion. "How mean do I have to be to you to get you to leave me alone?"

Tokimo ran in front of him and planted herself in his path. "Mean enough to move me aside!"

He shrugged and began to walk around her; but she quickly moved into his path once more. "So," Tokimo asked, "What's your name?"

"None of your goddamn business," he said, moving to the other side. Tokimo quickly obstructed him once more. "Besides, you haven't told me your name, so why would I tell you mine? It's rather presumptuous of you."

"Fiiiine," Tokimo replied. "My name is...." she paused dramatically. Which was really so that she could think of something, but she didn't tell Coeus-guy that. "Himeko," she told him.

"Very nice," he said. "Too bad I don't care." He moved to get around her again, but still Tokimo blocked him. Eventually he sighed and motioned to pick her up. "Sol," he hissed, "You've packed in a lot of body fat for someone so small!"

"Hey!" Tokimo shouted, kicking him in the stomach as he struggled to pick her up. "That's 110% muscle, mister!"

"Ow!" he exclaimed. "There's nothing as thoroughly obnoxious as a fiery woman."

"Yeah, well you better get used to it," she retorted, "'cause you're not getting rid of me!"

Coeus stood back for a moment. Were all Earth girls this insane? Then he motioned to push her aside by force. She was stubbornly well-rooted to the ground. "What must I do to get rid of you?!" he cried in exasperation.

Tokimo paused thoughtfully. "You could buy me an ice cream."

Coeus paused and considered whether it would be better to kill her and be done with her or just buy her the damn ice cream. Sadly, he thought reflectively, it would be a smaller thorn in his side if he just bought her the damn ice cream--even if she demanded one every day that he came to the park--than if he killed her and caused a huge scene by by using his magical powers in this place and thus removing his ability to use this park as a convenient base point to explore Crystal Tokyo. Unless... "Look!" he said, pointing in the distance.

"Oh com'on! I'm not that stupid!" Tokimo said, annoyed.

Coeus frowned. "And you're sure I can't just punch you in the face?"

"You can give it another go," Tokimo said a little encouragingly.

Coeus frowned and sent his fist flying toward her face. Tokimo stepped aside, and Coeus used that opportunity to make a run forward. Unfortunately, she was way ahead of him and tripped him as he ran, sending him roughly into the pavement. "Ow," she said. "That looked like it hurt."

"Your astuteness astounds me, Lady," he said depreciatingly. "Fine. You shall have your ice cream, on the condition that you leave me in peace."

"Yay!" Tokimo cried excitedly.

"Lead the way, then, Miss Himeko," he said, and Tokimo skipped happily to a nearby parlor. He considered trying to make another getaway as she turned around, but his previous level of success seemed to imply that any further efforts were futile.

Inside the parlor, it was refreshingly cool, and there were waitresses in bizarre outfits serving people at tables. A waitress came up to them with a polite smile.

"A table for two?" she asked sweetly.

Coeus frowned. "N-"

"Yes!" Tokimo interrupted him.

Coeus looked at her, annoyed. "Can't you just pick something out and I'll pay for it and leave?"

"That's not how it works," Tokimo said. "You gotta sit down and order. And talk."

"I have to talk to you?" he said, his frustration increasing. He was beginning to regret his decision not to kill her.

"Yup," she said.

"What if I don't?" he said challengingly.

"Then I'm gonna kick your butt," she said.

"Umm..." the waitress said awkwardly.

"Two," Tokimo repeated.

Coeus frowned but allowed himself to be seated. Tokimo looked happily over the menu. "Do you want something, or do you think it's not manly to eat sweets?" she asked, looking casually at her options.

"That's a Japanese peculiarity," he said. "Where I come from, eating sweets is perfectly normal for a guy." he sighed. "And I might as well console myself in my suffering with sugar." He glanced idly over the menu and then closed it with the kind of decisive efficiency that comes from reading a lot of books and getting entirely too serious about it.

"So," Tokimo said, "you like studying?"

"That's such a vague and meaningless term," he said. "Studying _what_?"

Tokimo paused. "Ice cream?" she suggested helpfully.

"I do not like studying ice cream," he replied, annoyed. "I enjoy eating it, if that's what you mean."

"How about math? Do you like math?"

"Why do you _care_?" he asked.

"I dunno," Tokimo replied. "Com'on, just answer the question."

Coeus studied her for a moment. "Fine," he said at last. "I enjoyed the sciences and maths when I was younger. But..." he shrugged. "I've kind of gotten out of it in the past...few years."

"Aw. Why's that?" Tokimo asked.

The waitress came back and they politely ordered before continuing their conversation. "I've had a lot of things on my mind," he replied. "And anyway, it doesn't give me the same joy it used to."

"Really?" Tokimo said, interested. "What's changed?"

"Everything," he said darkly.

"Well, I hope it changes back," Tokimo said encouragingly.

Coeus smiled ironically. "Never wish for someone to receive back their innocence," He said. "It's a gift in poor taste, and one that is easily lost again."

"Don't you mean 'hope'?"

Coeus frowned again. "It matters little," he replied. "In my case, it's one and the same."

"I don't think it is," Tokimo replied. "Being innocent just means you're dumb. Being hopeful means you still think you can accomplish stuff, because you think the future still has promise."

Coeus shrugged nonchalantly. The waitress brought them their ice cream and Coeus nibbled at it apathetically.

"What's your name?" Tokimo asked after they had eaten for awhile.

"Hm?" He had let his mind wander in the blissful silence. Sighing as he brought himself back to the present, he glanced at her. "They call me Livy," he told her.

"Well," she said, finishing off her ice cream, "Thanks for taking me, Livy."

Coeus shrugged as he got up and straightened his blazer. "Don't mention it," he replied. "Please."

* * *

"Okay, Yami, let's go," Sayoko announced, pulling her sister off the couch where she was lying apathetically.

"Go where?" Yamiko said. "I'm not going to school."

"It's Saturday," Sayoko said, putting her hand to her head in frustration. "We're going to see a play. I got you a ticket, so you can't refuse now."

Yamiko looked toward her sister, vaguely curious. "What play?"

"Phantom of the Opera," Sayoko replied.

"I don't feel like it," Yamiko replied.

"You would have said that no matter what I suggested," Sayoko replied, annoyed. "Come on. We're going--you don't have a choice in the matter." Sayoko pulled her sister toward the door and brought her through the apartment building and down the street to the bus station. From there, it was a short trip to the subway.

"I know you like this show, so don't make a big pretension of being too good for it or something," Sayoko said as they waited for their car to arrive.

"But I--"

"Phantom of the operaaaaaah!" Sayoko shouted loudly, ignoring her sister's protestations.

"Shut up! You're embarrassing me!"

"Aaaaaaa-ah-ah-ah-ah-aaaaaaah!" She continued.

"Sayoko!"

"Keep singing, Yami!" She cried, laughing, as they entered the subway.

* * *

"Are you ready, Eros?" Minako said, knocking on the bathroom door near his room on Aphrodite.

"Um, almost," Eros said, straightening his navy blue jacket. He stepped out of the bathroom and smoothed back his hair.

"You forgot your blush," Minako said sarcastically. He had been in there, like, an hour.

"If you had told me exactly what time this was before hand, instead of calling on me when it was happening--"

"Whatever. Like you can keep track of time down here--where are the clocks? Even if you can, is it even tuned to Earth time? Besides," she continued, "It's not like you have a full schedule."

Eros frowned. "And here I had a special gift for you," he said, vaguely annoyed.

Minako perked up. "Oh?" she said. Eros walked down a hallway and turned into a room. It was full of glass cupboards, their shelves lined with golden and copper-toned treasures. They sparkled with gems.

"Oh, my," Venus said, breathless. "Are they all for me?"

"Strictly speaking, they were always yours," Eros said. "But there was something in particular I wanted to present to you." He went into a cupboard and pulled out a copper-colored tiara studded with jewels of topaz, opal and lapis lazuli. It was formed of graceful half circles intersecting with its supporting band.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Minako said admiringly.

"It was the Queen of Venus' crown," Eros told her. "But, like me, she abandoned it for Diana's leadership."

"Well then," Minako gingerly took the crown and placed it on her head. She placed her hand affectionately on Eros' cheek. "You are abandoned no longer."

Eros smiled. "Thank you, Minako."

"Now come on," she said, taking her hand away and looking at him impatiently. "They know I'm going to this musical thing, and because I'm so important and what-not, they'll delay it for us."

"If I had known that," Eros replied, "I would have taken longer."

* * *

"Ah, there you are, Princess Venus," the usher said as Minako made her way into the theater.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Minako said, pointing to her crown. "It's Queen Venus now."

"Erm...my apologies," The usher said, somewhat flustered. "A gift from your consort?"

Eros smiled and Minako blushed a little. "He's not my consort," she replied. "This is the honorable Priest of Aphrodite, the holy land of Venus--Eros."

Eros inclined his head politely as the usher blushed. "My sincerest apologies, sir," he said.

"Quite all right," Eros replied. "I'm sure that Her Majesty goes through consorts faster than jars of rouge."

Minako smiled at Eros and stepped on his toes. Eros cringed; the usher looked on awkwardly. "Well, if you'll come this way," he said, "We've prepared your usual box for you."

"Thank you," Minako said.

The usher lead them to their seats; Eros turned toward Minako. "It's funny," he said, "what the usher said about me being your boyfriend--we're probably related."

"Really?" Minako said.

"My sister was the princess of Venus at the time of the war," he replied. "I don't know what happened to her after she defected to Diana's side--but I suspect you are probably her daughter or grandaughter, if the current Queen is Princess Serenity's the firsts' daughter. Which might make me your uncle."

Minako looked at him oddly. "That is so _weird_," she said. "I mean, obviously we don't age. But you don't seem older than me, personality-wise. If anything--"

Eros laughed a little dryly. Minako was glad to see that he was at least making an attempt at conviviality. "Well, you have to realize, I was asleep, frozen as a statue, for most the time between when Nemesis took me in and now. When the war broke out, I had reached my twenty-second birthday. You, on the other hand, have lived through the past thousand years. So by all rights you are a great deal older than I am, in experience if not by actual accounting."

"Hm," she said, "I suppose you're right." She paused, looking into the filling auditorium thoughtfully. "What sort of person was she, my grandmother?" she asked. "Even my mother from that life....I only vaguely remember her."

Eros frowned. "Your grandmother was every bad stereotype about Venusians, and none of the good," he replied. "She was exceedingly vain, interested in men--but only for their money, power, or good looks. And she used me to those ends, as well. I don't know how much you know about becoming a priest, Minako, but it is not like being a senshi or a knight. Priests are made, not born, and she used her second son--me--as a tool to exert more control over the Venusian domain. And when I was old enough that a marriage could no longer be delayed, she started to trot nobleman's daughters before me. When it was time to select the Maenads who serve Aphrodite, she bid me pick the aristocratic ladies she cared to curry favor with. As for my sister," he continued, "I hardly knew her. My mother sent me to Aphrodite for training as young as possible; I never saw her except briefly and in public capacities. She was kind from what I knew of her, but who knows? My mother showed a kind enough face to the public." he smiled gently. "Still, she raised a daughter who has a kind heart. So I choose to believe that her kindness was her true face, and not merely a mask she presented to the public."

"Aw, Eros, you're so sweet," Minako said. "You must have been quite the charmer back in the day."

"I..." Eros looked distractedly into the rows.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked, a wry smile on her face. "See someone you know?"

"I can't believe I thought it was just by-the-by when you told me you wanted me to see this play with you," Eros said, annoyed. "You and Sayoko set this up! You _knew_ she would be here!"

"Oh, come now," Minako said, grinning fiendishly. "it's not like she can see you. Only _you_ can see _her. _Where is she?"

"Third row from the front, fifth seat on the left," he said distractedly, leaning on the banister. "Oh, Minako, look at her. She's not dressed up at all, and for her that would be half the fun."

"Oh, I see her! I can see the family resemblance. She's so pale, though."

"It's true," Eros said. "her skin reminds me of the color of the inside of a scallop shell."

Minako tried to suppress a smile, with mixed results. Their conversation was cut short, though, as the lights went out and the actors came onto the stage. Although Minako worried that Eros' wistful mood would ruin his enjoyment of the musical, by the intermission he seemed thoroughly engrossed. As the curtain was drawn and the house lights came back on, Venus ate the dainty tea snacks they had brought to her box while she watched Eros look listlessly toward Yamiko's seat.

"Do you like it so far?" she asked, wiping cookie crumbs from her fingers.

Eros turned toward her and smiled a little awkwardly. "It's very good," He said. "Different from the theater we had back in the day, but it has a lot of charm, once you get used to the singing." They chatted a bit more about the play until the lights dimmed again and the second act began.

Soon they reached the climax number.; in it, The Phantom came onstage in place of Piangi to sing a duet with Christine.

"Wait, that's--" Eros clasped his hands together and prayed to himself. Then he turned toward Minako. "My lady, transform!"

"What, why--"

"I really ought to play along until Christine pulls off the mask at the end of the number," The blue-haired phantom said, pulling off his mask to reveal Coeus' bemused visage. "But I have to admit, I don't know the words to the song." He held out his hand and a huge, mechanical monkey materialized onstage. It opened its mouth and a terrible, hoarse sounding scream tore through the auditorium. Most of the audience and the actors immediately collapsed; Yamiko and Sayoko were oddly unaffected.

"Venus crystal power, make up!" Minako cried, transforming in a swirl of energy into Sailor Venus. "The sailor senshi of love and beauty, Sailor Venus, will give you divine punishment!"

"Ugh, not a speech," Coeus said with a grimace. "Mauros, go play with your new friend."

Mauros stepped out from behind the stage, his scythe in hand. "Certainly, brother." The bright stage lights cast shadows beneath the slumped over figures of the audience members; from these shadows, paper-doll like youma rose up and linked together in a circle around their master.

"Rolling heart vibration!" Minako shouted, firing a spiral heart toward Coeus' Youma. A black shadow youma jumped in front of the monkey and screamed as it was torn apart.

Mauros grimaced. "I'm losing again! I hate losing. Go get her," he said, motioning toward Venus. The youma swirled together and appeared in front of her.

"The goddess of love can't keep a beau; she's always switching to someone new!"

Sailor Venus flinched for only a moment, but the shadows used that moment to swirl around her and claw into her. She grimaced in pain as blood trickled down from her wounds.

"My lady!" Eros said. He kneeled down, but before a prayer could escape his lips, the shadows encircled him, too, and tore into his flesh. Eros grimaced but continued to pray; a faint glow appeared around him and the youma screamed in pain as they retreated backward.

"What did you do?" Sailor Venus asked.

"Shine are youma of hate," Eros replied. "My control over the domain of love weakens them."

Eros gazed across the auditorium at Yamiko, who was standing, dumbfounded, as she stared at Coeus. Coeus looked vaguely annoyed. Eros had a good guess as to why. He put his hands over his heart and a orange glow emanated from the teardrop on his forehead. Two great, white wings protruded from his back, glowing at their base where they came from his shirt. "Yamiko!" He shouted, jumping off the balcony and landing in the rows.

"You're not fooling anyone with those wings, Eros," Coeus said. "We all know you're not an angel. Mauros!"

Sailor Venus looked on, dumbfounded for a moment, but realized she had no time to gawk. Mauros turned his attention toward Eros and was sending another one of his 'friends' toward her priest. "Venus wink chain sword!" she cried, sending her love whip flying sharply toward Mauros. Mauros gasped as the chain pieced through his shoulder before it dissipated, leaving a gaping, red wound.

"Mauros!" Coeus cried, his face suddenly pale and vulnerable.

"Coeus..." he said weakly. "This game...hurts..." He grasped his shoulder and hunched over.

"You idiot!" he said angrily. "Now that you've let this happen, it's ruined everything! We have to leave immediately," he grasped his brother's waist and put Mauros' arm around him. Then he disappeared as suddenly as he had come, leaving only the mechanical shine behind.

"Yamiko!" Eros cried. "You need to transform. There's still an enemy here!"

"Leave me alone!" Yamiko cried, turning toward her sister and burying her face in her chest.

"She won't transform," Sayoko said. "I tried getting her to already...it's like she doesn't care what happens."

"If nothing else," Eros said, "don't you want to protect your sister?"

Yamiko paused as she leaned against Sayoko. She stepped away and held her hand above her head. "Phoebe prism power, make up!" Shadow consumed Yamiko as she transformed into Sailor Phoebe. "Dark garrote!" she cried as a dark hand encircled the mechanical monkey. It groaned and howled against its prison, but it could not escape.

"Venus," Eros cried, "your chain!"

"Venus love-me chain!" she cried, grabbing the youma's head and pulling on it. Its head came soaring off of it's imprisoned body and slammed into the back wall. It crumpled apart into a pile of gears and scrap.

"Yamiko...I..." Eros mumbled sadly.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," Phoebe said. "Sayoko, let's go home."

Eros' wings faded away and he watched, silently, as she left him behind.

* * *

"Don't feel too bad," Minako said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It could have gone a lot worse. Because of you, she was able to transform."

"I'm glad of that," he said sadly. "Anyway, it's not like I expected her to fall into my arms."

"So....do I get wings?" Minako asked.

Eros laughed. "I have wings because my cursed form is a swan," he said. "If I was something less airborne, I wouldn't be so lucky."

"Well, we better take care of these people," Minako said with a sigh. Eros nodded and kneeled. He began to pray and a few people groaned and sat up in their seats. He stood up a little unsteadily.

"You don't look too well," she said, concerned.

"I'll be okay," Eros replied. "I must return to Aphrodite now..."

"Oh, come on now," she said. "You must get lonely staying there all by yourself all the time. Let's go get a bite to eat."

* * *

"Did you know he would be there, Sayoko?" Yamiko asked.

"No," Sayoko said. "I swear, Yamiko. I would never have gone if I had known you would bump into Eros. Seeing him is the last thing you need right now."

Yamiko said nothing as they got on the subway and headed toward home.

"I'm sorry that that asshole ruined the play for you," Sayoko said. "Coeus, I mean."

"Do you think he's stalking me?" Yamiko asked.

"It's hard to say," Sayoko said. "But probably not. Your going to the play was a last minute decision, and he looked like he had planned everything out ahead of time. Plus he targeted the whole theater, not just you, and when his attack didn't hit you, he seemed pretty apathetic.

"I wonder why not..." Yamiko said. "It didn't hit you, either."

"I just sort of assumed it was Eros," Sayoko replied. "Who else could it have been?"

Yamiko paled a little. "But..."

"Look, whatever Eros did to you, there is the fact that he does love you, Yamiko," Sayoko said. "I don't think he'd just sit and watch while you died."

"He was pretty content to make it happen before," she said darkly.

"But he didn't," Sayoko replied. "He changed his mind, and he was almost killed for it."

"I don't want to talk about this," Yamiko said hastily, covering her mouth as a sob threatened to escape. She narrowed her eyes and looked away.

Sayoko frowned. "Well," she said, "We'll go again some other time. I'm sure Coeus has no intention of attacking the play again. The Senshi will be ready to come at a moment's notice."

"Seeing the play was a mistake," Yamiko said. "I should never have gone."

"Oh, Yamiko..." Sayoko said sadly. "Please don't say that. Please don't hole yourself up again like you did...back then."

"I used to hurt all the time, Sayoko. I finally got to the point where I was beginning to forget about the pain. And now..." Yamiko sighed and looked at the ground.

"That time will come again, Yami," Sayoko replied. "I promise. So...please don't shut yourself away from me."

Yamiko smiled weakly. "Not from you, Sayoko," she said. "Never."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Eros asked, watching as Minako looked listlessly out the window while sipping her drink.

"Huh?" she said distractedly. "Oh. Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just worried about you and Yamiko."

"Oh," Eros said wryly. "Okay then."

"What?" Minako said, sitting up and looking at him accusingly.

"I'm not the only person with love problems around here, am I?"

Minako frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"I get the feeling you've had a lot of boyfriends."

"Yeah?" she said. "So what?"

"Well...are you happy about that state of affairs?" Eros asked.

Minako looked sullenly at her spaghetti. "No."

"Is there some reason you're having trouble settling down? Or can you just not find the right person?"

She shrugged. "Being who I am, I have obligations. The kind of guys that want to get serious...I don't have the time for them. I only have the time for dalliances." she rested her chin on her hand. "Most of the others don't even date. There's sort of this unspoken feeling...our duty is to the Queen, not to ourselves. Getting attached would mean compromising our vow to protect her."

Eros frowned. "That's wrong, Minako. First of all, it's only because of Diana that things have become so warped in that way. Your duty is to Venus, not to her. Of course, I understand that we have other things on our mind right now with Nemesis afoot than rebuilding your kingdom...but I fully expect that once this is over, you and Neo Queen Serenity will remain close friends with no obligation between you and her at all. And furthermore...how are you supposed to pass on your legacy without a lover? Who will be your support?"

"I have the others for support. As for my legacy...I'm immortal. I can remain Sailor Venus forever--and it's probably better that way. I'm more powerful." She paused. "Even if...even if things happened the way they did because of Diana, we love our Princess, Eros, and our duty will always be to her."

"That is not the way of Sol!" Eros said. "In this system, we each dedicate ourselves to our own star. How can you be a proper queen when you bow down to a Moon, of a different planet?"

"What are you saying?" Minako said, annoyed and perplexed.

"I am your loyal servant," Eros replied. "But how I am supposed to look up to you when you think so little of yourself, my lady? You must abandon this idea that Serenity is your mistress. You are your own mistress. You are _my_ mistress. For the sake of Venus--no, rather, for you own sake--I hope you will begin to think of yourself as your own ruler."

Minako looked a little taken aback. She had no idea that Eros felt so strongly. "I will think about your kind words, Eros," she said.

Eros scoffed. "Kindness has nothing to do with it. I'm not working for the queen of Luna."

Minako giggled. "I wouldn't dream of making you," she replied.

* * *

"Brother, it hurts," Mauros moaned as Coeus laid him down near the black poison crystal furnace.

"Of course it hurts," Coeus said distractedly. "You got pierced straight through the shoulder. Now be still while I heal you."

"Brother," Mauros said, grabbing Coeus' sleeve. "Is it like this for everyone?"

"Is what like this for everyone?" Coeus asked, holding his hand over Mauros' wound as the dark power of the poison crystal mended him.

"When...when you lose the game. When you get hit. Is it...like that for my senshi friends, too?"

Coeus looked a little taken aback. "Well it's...no, it's not the same. Sailor Senshi...it's like they're made of iron. They feel nothing. No pain..." he narrowed his eyes. "Nothing."

"Promise?" Mauros asked worriedly.

"I swear it."

_~EPISODE SEVENTEEN: FIN~_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Erik**: With Seisui's energy directed into her training, her confidence is slowly beginning to build. But there is a darkness inside of her that even I cannot touch.

**Tokimo:** Huh. Here I thought Coeus was just a big fat jerk, but his anger is not as simple as it seems.

**Mayumi**: A role as Princess Serenity in a new movie about the Silver Millenium brings back memories of my past. Meanwhile, me and Mauros become ever closer. But I can see that there is something that troubles him which he will not share with anyone...

**Kazeko**: The cool blue of Pallas is soothing after the blood red of the men who once haunted me. Will I finally bring myself to tell someone why I came to this distant place?

**Akiko**: As I watch Natsuko's dedication to track, I begin to realize why she wanted to forge a path of her own. Maybe I should visit the Ark after all...

**Yamiko**: Eros...you are not a knight--you are not my knight! Leave me alone!

**Eros**: Despite my misgivings, I will follow your advice, my lady...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The sphere of wretchedness"_

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.

* * *


	18. Episode Eighteen: The Sphere of Wret

Kazeko gulped as she watched the royal family assemble at the elaborate marble table. They were all clothed elegantly in their princess dresses; Kazeko was thankful to Fuyuko for asking Natsuko to lend a dress to Kazeko. Fuyuko's own dresses were certainly much too small, and although the green-haired princess of Juno had a scant wardrobe where dresses were concerned, what she did have was thankfully in a flattering shade of green; Kazeko's dress was, perhaps, a bit on the short side for Kazeko's tastes, but it was certainly better than showing up to dinner wearing her uniform. Looking around the table as everyone was seated, Kazeko noticed that Princess Venus' chair was conspicuously absent, but Kazeko couldn't imagine herself having the audacity to ask where she was. Instead she quietly sat down next to Fuyuko and tried to calm her tornado of nerves.

"Who's your friend, Fuyuko?" Princess Jupiter asked, leaning her head on her hand as she stared at Kazeko. Although in some sense Kazeko knew she was on equal footing with these people, in terms of innate divinity even if not experience, she could not help but feel she was staring at Macha, a veritable personification of feminine strength and power.

"Oh," Fuyuko said, "This is Kazeko Shirochize. She's Sailor Ariel."

"Sailor Ariel...?" Endymion said somewhat suspiciously.

"She defeated Coeus the other day," Fuyuko said animatedly, turning toward the king. "It was awesome. She was all like, 'boreal tempest!' and then Coeus went all frozen in a gust of icy wind."

"Impressive," Endymion said sincerely.

"Just what you'd expect from a Uranian moon," Princess Uranus said, turning toward her. Uranus was the senshi shes associated with the Cailleach, the spirit of skies and mountains.

Kazeko felt herself becoming uncomfortably warm. "Er--Not really--I mean..maybe other moons of Uranus, but not me..." she stammered awkwardly.

"Nonsense," Uranus continued. "I'm sure you were splendid." She smirked. "It's nice to have such a lovely young lady from somewhere so close by."

Princess Neptune smiled mysteriously. "Haruka, whatever could you mean by that?"

"I was only commenting on the fact that Kazeko is very pretty and elegant for one of her age--merely an observation of fact. Unless you disagree...?"

"Of course not," Princess Neptune replied, though Kazeko could swear she heard the tiniest edge to her voice.

"But she is not half as beautiful or elegant as you, dearest Michiru." Haruka winked playfully at Kazeko, which only served to increase the redhead's discomfort.

"Where are you from, Miss Shirochize?" Ami asked politely, smiling at Kazeko.

Kazeko paused nervously. She didn't like to talk about where she was from, but she just couldn't bring herself to lie to the gods she had admired since her childhood. "I'm from county Meath, Ireland," Kazeko told her. "And...the truth is...my name isn't Kazeko Shirochize. It's Deirdre..and my birth name, before I was adopted, was O'Reilly."

"To be honest, I thought Kazeko was a rather odd name for someone of your ethnicity," Ami replied. "Even though it's not unheard of to hear people using Japanese names abroad these days, Kazeko is..." Ami coughed awkwardly.

"I assume you wrote your name with the characters for 'wind child'," Haruka interjected. "What Princess Mercury is too polite to say is that kaze is not usually how we pronounce that character when it's in someone's name, since phonetically, 'kaze' can also mean a cold. When we are using the character for wind in a name, it is usually pronounced 'fuu'."

Deirdre felt herself becoming flushed. "How dumb of me," she said awkwardly.

"I'm sure that we Japanese have made equally embarrassing mistakes concerning English," Mercury said. "Don't feel too bad. Anyway, 'kaze' _can_ mean cold, but everyone who hears your name will assume that it uses the reading 'wind.'"

"I like the name Deirdre, though," Fuyuko remarked. "I think I like it better than Kazeko--not that I dislike Kazeko or anything," Fuyuko added hastily. "But Deirdre is such a mysterious sounding name. And it suits you, 'cause you're so mysterious yourself."

"I don't know about that..." Deirdre said self-consciously. "I don't feel I'm half as mysterious as say, Princess Pluto."

"And what makes her so mysterious, Fuyuko?" Princess Mars asked, smiling rather mysteriously herself.

"She talks to trees," Fuyuko said. "And she can fortune-tell."

"Oh, my," Princess Neptune said. The very daughter of the ocean god Lir seemed to be impressed with her! Deidre was not really sure what to think...what to feel. "What do they say?"

"It depends," Kazeko said awkwardly. "But it's difficult to get much of anything out of them. Trees are very vague and slow. It's not like talking to a person."

"What kind of fortunetelling do you do?" Serenity asked, her expression keenly interested.

"I toss norse runes," Kazeko replied. "Runes aren't originally from Ireland, but the Norse people ruled Ireland in ancient times, and their culture and traditions have a strong current amongst our people. That, and the runes have just always spoken to me somehow."

"Can you tell my fortune?" Serenity asked excitedly. "I know! We could all go to the parlor after dinner and you could tell all of our fortunes. Right, everyone?"

"Feh," Princess Uranus scoffed, "fortunetelling is for love-struck teenaged girls."

"I think it's a lovely idea," Princess Neptune replied. "and I'm sure one with such potent mystical abilities as Miss Deirdre will have something interesting to foretell."

"Suit yourself," Uranus said nonchalantly.

"I'm afraid I am with Haruka in this case," Princess Mars replied. "Although I don't disbelieve Miss Deirdre, I feel quite confident in my fire-reading abilities."

Deirdre paled. "I'm sorry if I implied--"

"Please perish the thought, Miss Deirdre," Mars interjected with a smile. "I wasn't trying to insinuate that you were trying to eclipse me. My methods of fortune-telling are best reserved only for serious matters because of the manner in which they work. I imagine that rune reading is a better method of fortunetelling for personal reflection in any case."

"But Rei, if that's true, why not join us?" Serenity asked.

"Well...to be frank, my own experiences in foretelling the future tend to be rather grim. I don't usually think of reading the future as an evening's light entertainment."

"Well, I am curious to know what Deirdre has to say," Saturn remarked. "I hope you're coming too, Usako?"

"Of course!" Lady Serenity replied. She turned toward her four guardians. "What about you guys?"

"I would like very much to attend," Ceres said immediately.

"I'm going to go for a run," Juno said indifferently.

"Me too!" Vesta immediately piped in. Juno just rolled her eyes.

Helios smiled. "You guys can go on without--"

"You're coming too, Helios," Lady Serenity interjected.

"It's too bad Minako isn't here," Jupiter said. "She would have loved this."

Mercury smiled politely. "Well, there is lots of work to be--"

"You're coming, too, Ami," Jupiter interjected with a grin. "You don't have a choice." Ami sighed, resigned.

* * *

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo

Episode Eighteen:

"The Sphere of Wretchedness"

* * *

Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru  
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou  
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara  
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo  
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no  
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo  
I love you tte itte ne

Though I hold a mysterious destiny,  
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,  
being led by the moon

Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past  
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since  
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I'm under the pink moon,  
I need an even stronger comfort  
Even if I make only mistakes,  
Say, "I love you," okay?

* * *

Kazeko breathed deeply in meditation. She had asked her hosts to dim the lights in the large drawing room in order to help her in her rune casting; in the darkness, it was difficult to make out the faces of the royal family. She felt herself wanting to call them gods, but what need had gods for rune casting? For that matter, where was she getting the power to rune-cast with no gods to call on? Now, more than ever, she felt lost and naïve.

But no. She may have thought of these people, powerful as they were, as the Tuatha de Dannan, but clearly that was not the case. The Tuatha de Dannan were older than time itself. Perhaps they were merely relatives or daughters--after all, did she not already think of Neptune as the daughter of Lir?--or, who knew? Perhaps the gods saw fit to gift their powers on unsuspecting mortals. That was, after all, her own situation.

She stared across the drawing room table toward Princess Mercury, who was seated somewhat nervously across from her. For whatever reason, the royal family had felt very strongly that she ought to go first. Kazeko wondered if maybe the air of quiet contemplation that accompanied her made her a mystery to her companions, and they wondered what passed through her mind.

Kazeko took a deep breath. Mercury may not be Boann, but invoking a goddess of rivers and wisdom seemed appropriate for this reading. "Please focus on Princess Mercury," Kazeko said to the assembled family. "Otherwise, the reading may become confused."

"Fascinating," Neptune said. "I did not know what was an issue when fortunetelling."

"Quiet, Michiru," Jupiter said. "Remember?" Neptune remorsefully brushed her fingers against her lips, as if to warn herself against further transgressions.

Kazeko waited a moment, shuffled her runes in her bag, and set them down in a cross formation. She looked at the runes for a long time before beginning. "The reversed Raido rune is in your past. There's been a sense of stasis and rigidity in your life the past few years," Kazeko said. "Things have fallen into place, but not in a good way. You're trapped...maybe even taken advantage of. The problem is Ursuz reversed--things are not in the right place. You're being used by other people--" the discomfort in the room was almost palpable--"But not necessarily on purpose," she added hastily. "You've become bored. Discontent." Mercury said nothing, but her face was drawn. "Eihwaz reversed is your challenges. The problem is not only that you're dissatisfied, but also that you don't feel strongly enough about your discontent to change anything." She looked at the next rune. "The future, Tiwaz--good news is coming. There's a man in your future--" an outbreak of giggles. "--_not_ necessarily a love interest, though--who will change things. Someone who will show you the inner strength that you possess, who will show you how to have authority and confidence. The outcome, Kenaz, will have you transforming yourself, and you will have a new strength and greater power." Kazeko paused. "You may even meet someone and fall in love with each other."

"Who?" Jupiter asked anxiously.

"I don't know," Kazeko said. "The runes do not specify. It's not even guaranteed that it will happen--the meaning of the runes is not always clear. I know this much: Princess Mercury will have a transformative experience, one which will increase her strength and fortitude."

* * *

"Mayumi!" Her father shouted joyously, hugging her gently. Her room was immaculately neat, with light pink walls and silver silk curtains. She had been sitting at her light blue desk, getting her homework done in the spare moments in her hectic schedule. Mayumi loved her father, with his silver-gray hair and his thick glasses, and sometimes, she wondered if that was the problem. Sure, she got mad at him sometimes for pushing her into so many events--for pushing her into singing--but he had never once had to threaten her or force her into anything. He just had to say that something was "important" or tell her that "it would mean a lot to me" and she found no matter how she tried or convinced herself that she would say no this time, it never happened. "Mayumi, how are you doing, sweetie?"

"Good," she said, pulling away from the hug. "Working on my math homework."

"I was talking to Seki earlier today," he said--Mayumi could hardly repress a shudder--"and he as a great new opportunity for you."

"Oh?" Mayumi said, trying to sound interested but feeling sick. "What is it?"

"Apparently they're going to do a re-make of 'Serendipity,' that classic movie based on the life and times of Princess Serenity in the Silver Millennium," her father told her, sitting down on her bed. "They're going to focus on the forbidden romance between Serenity and Endymion...and they want you for the title role!"

"Me? As....Princess Serenity?"

Her father nodded excitedly. "The role of a lifetime! And frankly, it 's brilliant casting. You'd make a perfect Serenity."

She had to admit to feeling a little awkward about the idea of playing the queen, but she supposed from what she had learned about the queen's personality in school that they weren't entirely unlike each other. "What about my tour in the states?"

"They're going to shoot the scenes you're not in over your tour," he said. "It's not a big deal."

"Are you sure I'm good enough to act in a movie?" Mayumi asked. "I mean, I've done commercials and a few daytime drama roles...but movie acting...that's a whole different level."

Her father took her hand and pressed it between his palms. "I know you'll make me proud, Mayumi," he said confidently.

"I'll do my best, Daddy," she replied.

.

"Thank you for a nice evening, Minako," Eros said, stopping in front of the doors to the crystal palace. "Or at least...the best you could offer, under the circumstances."

"Not a problem...But Eros," Minako said, "Think about what me and Sayoko told you."

"Oh, Mina," he said with a sigh. "You heard her. She doesn't even want to talk to me."

"Give it time," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you do something for her? Something that will show her your sincerity."

Eros pondered Minako's words for a moment. "I'd probably just make her feel like I'm stalking her," he said. "But I suppose I could try to think of something subtle."

There was a lull. Minako found herself groping for words to continue their conversation; it wasn't that she liked him--okay, maybe she had a little crush on him--but she knew that returning to the palace would mean returning to the busy life of a stateswoman. "What about the Maenads?" she said at last.

"What about them?" Eros replied.

"Don't you need new ones? What do they do, exactly?"

Eros laughed. "They guard the shrine. Maenads are no sailor senshi, but they have passable magic of their own, not to mention martial training. They also help to amplify a priests' power."

"How?"

"Priests have rather different powers than Senshi or Knights," Eros explained. "Creating barriers, healing....we can also cleanse or taint things, depending on the nature of our powers, and make the landscape take on the features of a planet's element--"

"Er, what do you mean exactly?" Minako asked.

"Like when I weakened Mauros' demon," Eros replied. "It's sort of like...it's difficult to explain. I can take areas of hatred and replace them with love. Or, like if we were using Coeus as an example--his province is wisdom--he could make people think more clearly, indeed literally become smarter, as long as he is concentrating. The same goes for the physical side of our powers. I can literally turn things to gold, summon chains from nowhere....that sort of thing."

"That's amazing!" Minako exclaimed.

"Not really," Eros replied. "I always thought turning things to gold was in particular a rather useless power. Mauros, the priest of Hades--Pluto's holy land--he can control time. _That_ is power. Anyway, I can only affect a small area as it stands--a few yards, perhaps, at most. But if I had my maenads, I could affect a much greater area....miles, perhaps, depending on the circumstances. Plus, the maenads help maintain the health of our holy land...they can keep an eye on things when we're not around."

"Well," Minako said, "it sounds like we should work on finding some. How many do you need?"

"It sort of depends," Eros said. "But usually at least two. As many as ten...but it's better have fewer maenads that you work well with than a lot that you barely know."

"Maybe we should work on finding you some Maenads," Minako suggested.

"Maybe," he replied. "We should focus on Nemesis, but...I suppose it would be helpful in the fight.

"I'll keep an eye out," Minako said. She put her arm on Eros' shoulder. "And Eros...don't be a stranger. It's not good for you, hanging about that palace all alone."

"Well, it is your palace," Eros remarked.

Minako waved her finger and made a tutting noise. "Magellan castle is my palace."

"I've never heard of it," he said.

"That's because Queen Serenity the elder gave it to me. So it wasn't around when you were alive. It orbits the planet."

"Ah, I see," Eros said. "Then you have three castles--one on Aphrodite, one on the surface of Venus, and one orbiting the planet."

"But Venus' surface is uninhabitable," Minako remarked. "How is it that there could be a castle on the surface? Is it protected by a dome?"

"The planet's surface was made uninhabitable when your three powers were broken," Eros replied. "Now that you have your crystal again, it is as inhabitable as Earth. Which, my lady, you would know if you had looked inside your heart. You are spiritually connected to your planet...it is a part of you now."

"Jeez," she said, giving him a playful shove. "You're getting all sappy on me. Even by my standards." she winked.

Eros laughed dryly. "But it's true. You are connected to your planet--for better or worse. If ill comes to Venus, it eventually comes to you."

"Like Endymion."

"To be sure."

Minako mulled over his words for a moment and then smiled. "Well. As you said, it was as best an evening as could be had under the circumstances. Now...I hope you'll excuse me for the night."

"Of course--you must get your beauty sleep." Minako rolled her eyes but waved as the ornately carved palace doors appeared before her and she walked through them.

* * *

Eros sighed, peering down into the water of the fountain beneath him. He had taken off his shoes and was sloshing about in the cool stone basin, watching the light refract on the golden glints in the stone. Now what? He had to do something to show Yamiko his sincerity, at least, to make some pathetic attempt to apologize to her...but what? A song, a bouquet, a work of art? It all seemed so cheap, so easily done. What good were things in such cases as these? No trinket could mend a broken heart. Still, he supposed he must try. If he was going to make her a present of something, he ought to make it something she would truly want, something she would like enough to try and put aside who it was from.

He sat on the edge of the fountain. Tomorrow, he would have to seek out a draper.

* * *

"Mayumi!" Mauros cried. Her hair glinted brightly in the afternoon sun, shining like a curtain of gray silk. Mauros stepped forward to meet her, his hands full of yellow peonies. "Look. I have something for you this time."

"Oh, Kuro..." Mayumi smiled broadly as she took the flowers from him. "They're beautiful." She looked at him slyly. "Did you steal them from the park?"

Mauros looked a little alarmed. "You have to buy the flowers from the park?" he said.

Mayumi laughed. "No. But usually they're meant for the people visiting to look at. But it's okay...I'm sure no one will miss them, and it went to a good cause, right?" she winked at Mauros. "So how are you, Kuro?"

Mauros frowned. "There's something that is troubling me, Mayumi."

Mayumi sat down on a nearby bench and motioned for him to sit next to her. "What is it, Kuro?"

Mauros hesitated before speaking again. "Mayumi...do people...do you...feel pain, when you're hit?"

Mayumi looked a little taken aback. "Well...of course."

"Do you know any senshi? Do they...do they feel pain?"

"I have met a couple of the planetary senshi," Mayumi replied. "Though only very briefly. But there's one sailor senshi I know personally. A...friend of mine found out she was a Moon Senshi recently. So sometimes...she talks to me when she feels lonely, and she needs someone to share with. As for your second question...yes, w-they do feel pain. Sometimes, it seems like...even more than most people."

Mauros felt a deep, dark feeling in the pit of his stomach at these words, a feeling he had not had in quite some time. "I don't want to hurt anyone," he said at last. Mauros wasn't sure what to do. He knew his brother would never lie to him. But he couldn't believe that Mayumi would lie to him, either. Maybe her friend had lied? But why would Mayumi be friends with a liar? He couldn't quite believe that, either, though he supposed it was the most logical option.

"You don't have to hurt anyone, Kuro," she said. "And I can't imagine that you would."

"Your friend...are you sure that she feels pain?" Mauros replied.

"Why wouldn't she?" Mayumi asked. "How are their bodies different from ours? I mean...they still have red blood and everything. Not five years ago the sailor senshi were nearly defeated by the Black Moon. They may be strong, but they still have their vulnerabilities."

Mauros frowned. It was like a nightmare. He had thought that what he and Coeus did...it was just a game, right? like chess, or...he prayed that Mayumi's friend was wrong, perhaps mistaken. Maybe they had never been hurt before, and so they did not know their own strength. Mauros himself did not realize that he could feel such tremendous pain until the other day. Yes. That must be it.

"Kuro?" Mayumi said, leaning forward and staring at his troubled face. "Are you in...some kind of trouble?"

"No," Mauros said at last, forcing a smile. "It's nothing. I just don't want to make anyone suffer."

"Come on, Kuro. Don't be silly," she said, putting her hand lightly on his shoulder. "You don't have a bad bone in your body. If you ever hurt someone, I'm sure it could only be by accident."

Mauros looked at her. "I don't know what kind of bones are in my body," he said. "I...I don't know what I'm capable of. I'm not sure I want to."

"Well, from all the time I've spent with you, you've only seemed capable of great kindness," Mayumi said. "Now enough of this depressing talk. Have you had anything to eat today?" Mauros shook his head. "Is your brother coming back soon?"

"I don't think so," Mauros replied. "That wasn't the impression that I got."

"Let's go get crepes," She said, taking the peonies in one arm and standing up. With her free hand, she took Mauros' wrist and pulled him gently upward. Mauros happily got up and stood beside her. "Maybe I can allude my lolicon producer for awhile."

"Your what?"

"Hey Kuro, how old are you?" Mayumi asked, dropping his hand awkwardly. "I'm 15, by the way."

"Er, uh...I'm seventeen. More or less--or that's what brother tells me, anyway."

"Hmmm. You're pretty tall for seventeen," she said, looking up at him. "But I guess you're just pretty tall in general. Is your brother tall like you?"

"He's tall, too, but not as tall as me," Mauros replied.

"Which one of you is older?"

"We're the same age. He and I are twins."

"If he's shorter than you, though, you must be fraternal twins, right?" Mayumi said. Mauros looked at her blankly. "Er...you aren't identical...like, you don't look and sound the same."

"Oh! No," Mauros replied. "Brother has blue hair and eyes. He has told me that we may not have the same father."

"Ah..um..." Mayumi was not sure how it would be appropriate to respond to this, but she decided that making a thing out of it wouldn't be a good idea. "Then I guess you're technically half-brothers?"

Mauros shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He's the closest thing to a family I have. Or even a friend." Mauros said. "Well...until I met you, anyway."

Mayumi suddenly felt very flustered. She looked down, pretending to be very interested in the peonies, which really made things worse because they reminded her that Kuro had done something as romantic as given her a bouquet of flowers. She almost felt a little mad at him, doing something so princely and romantic with such childlike innocence. She had gotten flowers from hundreds of male admirers before, but Kuro's bouquet of clumsily, unevenly picked peonies he had gotten from a park somehow touched her more. She glanced over at Kuro, who looked absentmindedly into the distance as he walked beside her. He had nice hair. It was too bad it was so tangled...gah, what was she thinking about!

"Mayumi?" he queried, looking toward her. "Are you okay?"

"Of course! Look, the crêpe stand is right over there," she said, pointing toward it. "Do you want strawberry, banana or chocolate?"

"What's the difference?" Mauros asked.

"We'll get you chocolate," Mayumi said. "You strike me as a chocolate lover." Mayumi walked up to the crêpe stand and ordered while Mauros sat by, staring blankly off into the distance.

"Here you go," she said, handing him the crepe.

"Ah," he said, "I was supposed to give you something this time. But now you've given me something again," he said, ruefully looking at the crêpe.

Mayumi giggled. "It's okay, Kuro," she said. "Just hanging out with you is like a present to me." Mauros smiled.

Mayumi was happily finishing off the last of her crêpe when she saw a figure waving at her in the distance. "Mayumi!" The voice cried. Mayumi could vaguely see Shin'ichiro running toward her, his white suit blindingly bright in the early summer sunshine. "What are you doing over here? And why are you hanging out with _him_ again?" he said, panting in between words as he looked at Mauros skeptically.

"I came to hang out with Kuro," Mayumi said in frustration, glancing away from her producer. "He's my friend."

"You keep questionable company, Miss Hatsuhara," Shin'ichiro said, glancing skeptically at Kuro and his plain, worn clothing. "You don't even know where this guy came from, do you? He looks like a bum."

"Don't call Kuro a bum!" Mayumi snapped. "He's...he's not a bum!"

"Oh? Where is he from, then? Surely, he doesn't live around here--unless, of course, he lives in the park."

Mayumi glared daggers at Shin'ichiro. He returned her glance sternly, unyieldingly. She eventually turned away, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. Mauros looked on, upset and confused. "Kuro is--"

"--a danger to your reputation, and frankly, your career. What would become of your sales if word about this got to the tabloids--we'll have to pray it hasn't already. Mayumi Hatsuhara, seen with a man--"

"--he's only seventeen!"

"--a boy that appears to be unemployed and homeless. Although maybe in this case, it would help--your male fans will think, given your low standards, that they may stand a chance no matter how much of a loser they may be! Is that really want you want?"

Mayumi covered her face with her free hand, trying to surpress a sob. Mauros paused for a moment, looking at Mayumi with deep concern. Then he turned toward Shin'ichiro, a dark expression passing over his face. "Leave Mayumi alone," he said. "You're making her sad."

"I'm not afraid of some bum," Shin'ichiro retorted.

Mauros passed his hand before him in a wide arc; Shini'ichiro buckled over, retching violently. "Leave her alone," he repeated.

"Kuro, what are you doing?" Mayumi shouted, grabbing his arm. "Whatever it is, stop! You're hurting him!"

Mauros gasped, realizing he had done something which his brother was bound not to approve of. Shin'ichiro coughed roughly and gasped; he appeared to have recovered. "I..." Mauros flushed. "I'm sorry..." With that, he turned and ran away.

* * *

Natsuko breathed deeply as she walked out onto the front lawn of the Crystal Palace.

"Where are you going to jog?" Akiko asked, tying the end of her braid as she turned toward her sister.

Natsuko gave a resigned sigh. "Oh, I don't know. I guess the park, where the Memorial Gardens are."

"Sounds good," Akiko replied. They jogged in silence for a long time, Natsuko doing her very best to run ahead of Akiko and Akiko was similarly straining to outpace her sister. Eventually, they came to a broad park, thickly planted with ornate, flowering gardens. Apparently Natsuko wasn't interested in showing sisterly solidarity, Akiko thought in annoyance, since she quickly sprinted into a hedge maze and out of sight. Akiko thought about following after her, but honestly, she was pretty tired and she didn't feel like getting in another fight with her sister--so she wandered off into the rose gardens instead.

Catching her breath as she walked amongst the rows of immaculately tended tea roses, Akiko sat down and watched the multicolored flowers sway lightly in the breeze. The sky was beginning to darken ever so lightly, casting long shadows beneath every bush and tree. Akiko lay stomach down on the bench and turned her head to the side, peering through the foliage of the garden. She squinted her eyes, watching as vague, shadowy shapes weaved their way through the garden's bushes. "What is that?" she mumbled aloud, sitting up and watching intently for another movement amongst the foliage. She slowly stood up, moving toward a shadow slinking in the bushes.

Her heart almost leapt out of her chest as she heard a plaintive meow. A small blue tabby walked out of the bushes and jumped nonchalantly onto the bench where she had been sitting, tucking its paws underneath its body and looking at her as though it felt her hair color was right out. "Oh," she said. "It's just a cat." There had been other shadows weaving through the bushes...Akiko peered amongst the other roses.

There were at least a dozen of them--all domestic cats of various hues and sizes, lying lazily in the dirt or going about their business. A few glanced briefly up at her, but most of them could have cared less. "Where did they all....come from...?" she murmured.

"People leave them here," a voice said from behind her. Akiko whipped around to see an dark-skinned man with dirt-smeared khaki pants and a worn linen shirt. Covering most of his dark gray hair was a dusky bucket hat; he wore a utility belt filled with various gardening implements.

"Where did you come from?" She asked.

The old man laughed. "I work here, taking care of the rose garden. My name's Kunitachi."

"Mine's Akiko," she replied. "You're here sort of late."

He shrugged. "This is where I like to be."

"Why do people leave them here?" She asked, kneeling down and petting the blue tabby that lay on the bench. "Is there something wrong with them?"

"Not usually," Kunitachi replied. "Most times, people have to move and can't afford an apartment that takes pets anymore, so they just leave their pets here. But sometimes people think they've gotten too old, or they get one for their children and they get bored with it."

Akiko frowned as she looked at all of the cats. "Why would someone..." she shook her head. "What happens to the cats?"

"I try to keep as many of them as I can," Kunitachi replied. "I feed them so they won't kill the songbirds, but..." he sighed. "Sometimes there gets to be too many. Then I'll take them to Ark shelter."

"If Ark will take them, why not bring them all there? Then they might find homes."

"They can't always take them," He replied. "Sometimes there's too many."

Akiko picked up the blue tabby and held it against her chest. The blue tabby mrowed in annoyance but didn't resist. "I could take them. My house is huge...I'm sure the q--I'm sure my mother and father wouldn't mind."

"Ha, what, all of them?" Kunitachi said with a smile. "Your parents must be pretty understanding."

"I could take care of them," she said. "You just feed them, right?"

"You have to change the litter box, too," Kunitachi added. "If they live indoors."

Akiko frowned distastefully. "I can...manage it."

"talk it over with them first," he said. "This many cats...it's a lot of responsibility."

"Well, I took care of one huge one," she said with a smirk. "I bet I can handle a dozen small ones."

Kunitachi raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure that's quite the same," he replied.

"Ha! Trust me, this one had the attitude of twenty," she replied.

* * *

When Tokimo--cleverly disguised as the tomboy Himeko--walked up to Coeus, he was reading a book. The park was filled with the early summer chirping of birds; the small, inedible cherries on the sakura trees were just beginning to ripen. "Whatcha reading?"

"A book exploring the fundamentals of thought by comparing three of the greatest geniuses to ever live."

Tokimo's face was blank as she continued to smile. "Whatcha reading?"

"A book on thinking."

Tokimo frowned. "People write books about thinking? Isn't it enough to have to think about a book that _isn't_ about thinking? If people start writing books about thinking, where does it end? Do they have books about thinking about books about thinking?"

Coeus paused as he contemplated this. "Thinking about books about thinking is a kind of thinking already."

"Huh. So--"

Coeus got up and began to walk away. Tokimo grabbed his arm; Coeus turned toward her, a look of utter disgust on his face. So that was how it was going to be, after all. He had considered relocating to a different park, but he liked leaving Mauros here--it was in a safe place where he wasn't likely to get in any danger, and Coeus hardly trusted him in the hands of Nemesis and her agents. And frankly, humoring some insane Earth girl was, if annoying, only a small waste of his ample time. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. "I suppose I am not going anywhere, Himeko," he said dryly.

"Nope," Tokimo said, grinning.

"Fine. Rather than wasting my time trying to evade you, let us simply move directly to the point. What is it you want? Another ice cream?"

"Let's do something different this time," Tokimo said, mulling her options over as she held on to Coeus' arm. "I know! We could go to the amusement park."

"Oh god," Coeus said. "If I must humor you, for the love of Sol, let me go somewhere a little less unbearable than _that_."

"Shopping?"

"If you are trying to attract my amorous intentions, as you seem to have the misguided belief you can, you would be better off trying to appeal to my interests rather than yours." Tokimo looked confused at these words. "Let us go to the aquarium." A location that had the added advantage of being dark, twisty, and easy to lose someone in.

"That sounds boring."

"There are sharks and dolphins," Coeus said enticingly.

"Oooo," Tokimo replied, "That sounds cool."

"Let us be off, then." Coeus said...and maybe he could get rid of her yet.

* * *

The inside of the aquarium was dark and cool; there was a display of brightly colored discus fish as they entered the vestibule. "Oh, neat," Tokimo said, walking up to the tank and looking at the fish. They were neon orange and blue and mottled with iridescent markings; they looked at Tokimo with interest as they darted around the tank.

"Those are discus fish," Coeus told her, looking at them appreciatively. "_Symphysodon aequifasciatus_. One of the few schooling cichlids. Cichlids are a civilized fish...they mate for life and care for their young." He frowned. "Sad day when fish are more civilized than men."

"You know a lot about fish," Tokimo said. She almost asked if it was because he was from Mercury--thank Serenity she caught herself in time.

"I like fish," Coeus replied vaguely, and moved to the counter to purchase their tickets. "They don't have the cruelty or ambition of humans. Of women."

Tokimo stuck out her tongue. "Don't be a stupid jerkface. There's plenty of cruel, ambitious guys out there."

"There are men who are cruel and ambitious, it is true," Coeus said. "What makes it different with women is...they're just..." he shook his head. "It's so cold-blooded. When a man does something cruel, it's out of passion. But with a woman...it's terrifying because it's so premeditated."

"Well that's a dumb way to think about it," Tokimo replied. "Whether you do awful something 'cause of your emotions or 'cause you've thought about it, the results are the same."

"But someone who can think things through is capable of so much more," Coeus replied.

"I dunno," Tokimo replied. "I think, a lot of times, people do the most damage when they haven't thought things through." Tokimo sighed. "You dive into something, thinking it's a great idea...but later, you realize it was a mistake. Sure, maybe your intentions aren't as malicious as if you've considered the consequences and done it anyway, but...the result is the same."

"You speak as if it is from experience," Coeus replied.

"Come on," Tokimo said, grabbing his arm. "Let's go see the dolphins first." She led him over to the section of the aquarium where the dolphins were on display, stopping excitedly at broad, relatively shallow pool. There was a long bench surrounding the pool, and stout, pink dolphins with long, skinny noses weaved their way around roots and rocks in the tank.

"Those are boto dolphins," Coeus said, looking down in the tank with an almost dazed expression.

"They look kind of funny," Tokimo said.

"They're one of only a handful of species of freshwater dolphins," Coeus replied. He held his hand toward the tank and three of the boto dolphins gathered around him, looking toward him inquisitively.

"Wow!" Tokimo exclaimed. "How did you do that?" she had a guess, but she wasn't going to share it.

Coeus shook his head as if snapping out of a trance. The dolphins turned away and continued to swim around the pool. "I uh...I'm not sure. Come on, let's keep going."

"So, what is it you like about the aquarium?" Tokimo asked, catching up to Coeus before he had the chance to run off.

"It's quiet," he said. "Something about the darkness and the way that the water bubbles....well, there's a fair share of noisy kids, especially on the weekends, but if you go on the weekdays...it's like another world. It hushes people into silence. I find it...relaxing."

"I bet you like the library, too," Tokimo replied. "And the museum."

"A lot more than I like you," Coeus replied. "Certainly, all of those places are much quieter than you are."

Tokimo stuck out her tongue. "That's 'cause they're booooring."

"They're only boring because you don't take the time to think about what they have to teach you," Coeus replied. "Because you don't take the time to learn, it is in fact you who are boring--your lack of knowledge makes you unable to carry on an interesting conversation."

"That's not true! I can carry on all kinds of interesting conversations."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Like..." Tokimo paused. "Have you read the newest issue of Best Comic Jennifer? Hikari found out her boyfriend was--"

"I am not interested in your silly romance stories. You may be able to carry on a conversation, but it has no interest or substance. It may be diverting enough, for a time, but it fails to lead you to think about the world at large."

"Well, if you're such a Mcsmarty Pants, what do you think I should be thinking about?"

Coeus scrutinized a nearby tank of Baiji dolphins. He shrugged. "I suppose it's a lost cause, with you," he said at last. "There's no point in wasting time trying to educate a flighty young girl with more interest in stories of boys and angst than the world of the mind."

"Oh yeah?!" Tokimo said angrily. "I'll show you!"

"It would amuse and impress me if you did," Coeus said distantly, moving down the corridor of the aquarium towards the Lake Tanzania display.

* * *

"Kuro!" Mayumi cried, reaching a hand out toward him as he ran off. "Come--"

Shin'ichiro yanked backwards on Mayumi's arm. "Let him go," Shin'ichiro said. "It's time for your rehearsal."

"I don't care," Mayumi said, yanking her arm away. "Kuro is hurt and confused. He needs me."

"Your fans need you!" Shin'ichiro said, motioning to a nearby limo.

"People don't _need_ my music," She said. "I don't even write my own songs!"

"They need your smiling face," he replied. "and someone has to read Serenity's lines. Even if you're willing to disappoint your fans...are you going to disappoint your director? Your co-stars? Me, your producer?"

"Fine," Mayumi said darkly. "I'll go." She walked briskly up to the limo and coldly sat inside its luxurious interior.

Shin'ichiro got in the car behind her. They were silent a long time. Shin'ichiro prepared himself a whiskey on the rocks as they drove along through the congested traffic of Tokyo. "I know you're angry at me for the way I treated that boy...but I'm just doing this to protect you, Mayumi. To keep your career safe and healthy--to keep _you_ safe and healthy. I don't want things to get ugly for you...as they often do in this business. I care about you, Mayumi."

"Yeah, I've noticed how much you care about me," Mayumi said dryly, looking out her window at the dazzling scenery.

"Is it bad for a producer to care about his top talent?" Shin'ichiro replied.

"Somehow, Shin'ichiro, I don't think your interest is..." Mayumi began, then cut herself off with a tutting noise before continuing. "Necessary. I can handle myself."

"Don't feel like you have to be pillar of strength, Mayumi," Shin'ichiro replied. "You can trust me."

Mayumi felt like giving him a piece of her mind, but her earlier courage had withered away like unwatered flowers. She looked down at the peonies she still clung to, like their presence would leave a little bit of Kuro behind.

"You should get rid of those," Shin'ichiro said. "They look sloppy. They'll reflect badly on you."

"They're beautiful," Mayumi said, looking down at them. "They aren't just bought from a store. Kuro...he picked these. And he didn't do it to impress me, or be polite...he just did it out of kindness. Besides," she added, "wouldn't it reflect on me worse if I threw them away?"

Shin'ichiro said nothing as he sipped his whiskey. After what seemed like an eternity, the car stopped and pulled up to the studio's front door. Mayumi's father ran out to greet her; Mayumi hugged him with her free arm after she'd made her way out of the black behemoth of a car. "Daddy!" she cried happily.

"Mayumi! Have you had your after school snack yet?" He asked, brushing a stray hair out of her face as he smiled at her.

Mayumi frowned, remembering her time spent eating crêpes with Mauros. "Yes," she said. "Thanks, dad."

"We'll, let's get into the audition, then," he said. "Even though the part is as good as yours, they'll want you to do a script reading."

"I think I can handle that," Mayumi replied. "Hey Dad, since I'm doing this movie and it's a big step for us and all....do you think you could do something for me?"

"What's that?" her father replied.

"I'd like to take composition and piano lessons," Mayumi replied.

"What, you mean...you want to write your own songs?" Shin'ichiro said, walking up behind her. Mayumi flicked an annoyed glance in his direction.

"Yes," Mayumi said. "I'm sick of just being a voice for someone else's music. Or if we're going to have someone else write my music, have them on stage with me playing the piano, as part of a double-billing, instead of trying to trick people into thinking I write my own music. Either way, though, I want to start writing lyrics to my songs."

Mayumi's father was quiet for a moment. He looked at the peonies Mayumi held in her hands, straightened his blue striped tie, and sighed. "You're already very busy, Mayumi. Between school and all your obligations...do you really have time for this?"

"I'll make time," Mayumi said. "There're things I want to say through my music. As long as someone else is writing my music, I can't do that. In the meantime....I'd like to write the lyrics for at least one of the tracks that the composers are working on for the new album."

"Out of the question," Shin'ichiro said. "The contract stipulates--"

"That Mayumi has to have a certain number of songs written by our lyricist, but the current agreement for the album does not stipulate that they _all_ have to be written by the lyricist."

"There aren't any extra songs on the new album," Shin'ichiro replied. "There are exactly the contracted number of songs planned for the next release, and not a single extra."

"I'm sure we could contract an extra song or two from the composer," Mr. Hatsuhara said confidently. "After all, Mayumi's first self-authored lyrics will be a point of interest to her older fans."

"Thank you, Daddy," Mayumi said, giving him a hug.

Shin'ichiro frowned but said nothing.

* * *

Sayoko yawned as she stepped out of the shower. She glanced at the clock on the hallway wall; one o'clock. Time for breakfast! She walked into the living room, wrapped in her slinky blue silk robe.

"Yamiko?" she said, her eyes hovering over her sister. She was sprawled across the couch, clad in her frilly black nightgown; her arm hung over the side and was and resting on the floor. Her eyes looked sort of vacant and listless. "You should be at school!"

Yamiko shrugged. "I don't want to go to school."

"Oh, Yamiko...." Sayoko sighed, sitting down beside her sister's head and taking her limply hanging hand. "You can't stay home forever."

"I can stay home two days," she said. "I'm owed at least that much after all this. Especially since last night rubbed salt in my wounds."

Sayoko sighed. She supposed her sister had a point. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are," Sayoko said, getting up and moving into the kitchen, "You're just too angst-filled to realize it. Now do you want to make your own breakfast, or do you want to eat what I'm eating?"

"I don't want vodka, if that's what you mean," Yamiko said dryly, rolling over so that her face was lying against the back of the couch.

Sayoko just rolled her eyes. "I'm going to make eggs and bacon and toast, and you're going to eat them," she informed her sister matter-of-factly as she pulled out a frying pan. "And if you want them done properly, you had better get up and get to it now, or you'll just have to eat whatever I give you. And like it."

"Whatever," Yamiko said, covering her head with a pillow.

Sayoko got all of her ingredients together. Well, she knew she could handle the toast; she got that on her own all the time, so she stuck that in the toaster and set it going. Now. Bacon and eggs. She tossed the eggs and bacon in the frying pan together. She remembered hearing somewhere that putting bacon on high heat made it burn, so she turned it down to medium and waited. Things actually seemed to go pretty smoothly.

"Here," she said, handing Yamiko her breakfast.

"I told you, I'm not hungry."

"Yamiko, if you do not eat this breakfast, I will turn my rock music up to eleven. And I will sing along. Also at eleven."

"I'll leave the apartment."

"In your pajamas? Without a shower?"

"I'll just take a shower and get dressed first."

"Even if you were willing to sit through an hour of my music before you got out of the house, I'm not letting you leave without eating anything. In your delicate state, you're liable to pass out like the ladylike Victorian maiden that you are."

"I hate you, Sayoko. Oh so very, very much."

"Breakfast!" Sayoko said, nudging it in her sister's direction. Yamiko groaned and sat up, taking the plate and biting unenthusiastically into her eggs.

She frowned. "Sayoko, you cooked the eggs and the bacon in the same pan, didn't you."

"...is that bad?"

"They're all greasy," Yamiko said listlessly, though she ate it anyway. "The fat from the bacon renders and then the eggs cook in a big puddle of pig fat. Makes them slippery and oily, with an unpleasant texture."

"You're pretty fussy considering you weren't even going to eat."

Yamiko just shrugged and ate her breakfast without interest or relish. Eventually she put her plate on the coffee table and lay back down on the couch.

"Come on, come on, come on," Sayoko said, grabbing Yamiko's arms and yanking her off of the couch. "Get yourself cleaned up and dressed."

"I'm not going to school!" Yamiko whined.

"No, I won't make you go to school," Sayoko said with a sigh. "But let's get up and walk around a bit at least, huh? Maybe we can go out somewhere. A museum, or a park...something."

Yamiko groaned from her spot on the floor next to the couch. "I. Don't. Want. To."

Sayoko grabbed her sister's arms again and started pulling her across the rug.

"You'll tear my nightgown!" Yamiko yelled.

"What?" Sayoko said, continuing to drag her across the floor. "Can't hear you over this dragging sound..."

"Fine!" Yamiko cried, bending her knees and standing up. She begrudgingly let Sayoko pull her into the shower.

"I'm glad you agreed, because I didn't want to have to figure out how to take this thing off," Sayoko said, tugging at the billowing sleeves of Yamiko's long, empire-waisted nightgown. There were tall vertical slits along the sides of each sleeve; Sayoko pulled them up so that they hung in the air above Yamiko's arms. "You have little angel wings." She flapped them up and down, amused. "Whee! Yamiko's flying away!"

"I wish," Yamiko said dryly, tugging her sleeves out of Sayoko's grasp. "Now get out."

"Okay. Don't go all Ophelia on me now," Sayoko warned, leaving the bathroom.

Yamiko sighed, looking at herself in the mirror--puffy eyed and pale as a ghost. She pulled off her night gown and turned on the tub water; she went to switch it to the shower head, but thought better of it and plugged the drain. She threw some bath salts in the tub and curled up in the tub basin as warm water began to pool around her and she listened to the comforting roaring sound of hot water pouring from the faucet.

The thought of Eros filled her with anguish. The sight of him--his face mournful, his wings glowing faintly in the dim light of the theater--lingered in her mind, a painful memory. She wanted to push it aside, but it kept echoing through her. She turned off the faucet and leaned against the back of the tub, inhaling the scented water. She took her time cleaning up.

"Yamiko, I didn't give you any ideas, did I?" Sayoko asked suspiciously from the other side of the door.

Yamiko rolled her eyes. "No, I'm fine," she said. "I thought a bath would help me relax."

"Oh, okay."

Yamiko got out of the tub and dried herself off. She wrapped herself in her black bathrobe and went into her room. She emerged an hour later wearing a long, black linen skirt and a simple cotton blouse. She wore a black headband on her head.

"You look like a governess," Sayoko said.

"Be grateful I had the motivation to get dressed at all," Yamiko replied, annoyed.

* * *

Sayoko whistled as she carried the box of ramen she had purchased to the nearest park. "Well, there's no sakura blossoms anymore, but the roses and peonies are in full bloom," she said happily. They had gone to the mall earlier, which Yamiko seemed to barely endure. Sayoko figured she better go somewhere more pleasant to her sister before she lost her patience.

Yamiko ignored her sister as she looked dreamily off into the distance. There was a crêpe stand nearby; a girl with bright silver hair was happily carrying crêpes to tall man with long, brown hair. She turned back toward her sister--

"Wait a minute!" Yamiko glanced back toward the crêpe stand, but they were gone. Huh. Perhaps it was nothing.

"What?" Sayoko said, turning back toward Yamiko.

"I thought I saw something _really_ weird," Yamiko replied.

"Which was...?" Sayoko asked, turning around next to a peach tree and giving Yamiko a quizzical look.

"I thought I saw Mayumi Hatsuhara giving Mauros a crêpe."

Sayoko snickered. "That _is_ really weird," she replied. "Anyway, let's eat!" Sayoko sat down on a nearby bench surrounded by cheerful white peonies. She opened the box and pulled out Yamiko's ramen; Yamiko gingerly took it from her sister and began to eat.

Sayoko looked into her ramen bowl thoughtfully. "I know! we should go to the costume museum."

"I've been over a dozen times," Yamiko replied.

"Phft, you haven't been since sixth grade. And the exhibits change all the time. Remember that Victorian mourning dress you saw? That's what got you into the goth scene."

"I remember I asked Mom if she could buy it for me," Yamiko said with a weak smile. "She wasn't amused."

"Well, you know how Mom was," Sayoko said, shrugging. "She wasn't the type to be easily amused. So are you in?"

Yamiko sighed. "Sure, I'll go."

* * *

The sterile smell of museum hung in the air as Yamiko admired the displays of ancient textile and costume. An Egyptian shift hung on a mannequin's inert form; the dress began underneath the mannequin's breasts. Yamiko remembered being rather scandalized by this as a young girl.

"I should wear that out to the club," Sayoko said, admiring the dress. "Looks very cool for the summertime. And it would be classy with that fancy jewelry," she added, remarking on the broad, intricately beaded necklace that lay on the mannequin's breast.

Yamiko rolled her eyes and moved on. There was a male mannequin wearing an elaborate toga dyed a deep purple hue and covered with golden ornaments. A similarly hued chiton on a female model stood next to it. There was a vase next to the costumes; several men and women stood around on it, also wearing chiton. There was a nude, winged man holding a mirror next to them. Yamiko looked at the description. 'Ancient Greek Apulian Pelike in Red Figure. Eros holding mirror in company of chiton-clad Grecians.'

"God, can I not get away from that man?! It's like he follows me _everywhere_!"

"Hm?" Sayoko said, looking over Yamiko's shoulder. "Oh, don't be silly. That's just a Pelike. Eros was a popular subject for vase decoration. And anyway, this depiction looks nothing like Eros of Aphrodite. He has black hair, for one thing."

"Since when are you an expert?" Yamiko asked, annoyed.

"Since I minored in anthropology," Sayoko replied complacently.

Yamiko just grimaced and walked on. "Yamiko," Sayoko said, walking after her. "Look, Eros was a douche-bag, yeah....but you shouldn't let what he did ruin you. Eros will spend the rest of his life hating himself for what he did. You should let that console you. Most of my boyfriends don't even think they did anything wrong."

"Your boyfriends weren't using you as part of an evil plot," Yamiko replied.

"Sometimes I wonder..." Sayoko mumbled under her breath. But she didn't want to dwell on Eros too much, because she knew that would make things worse.

Yamiko looked longingly through the display at another dress, a dark burgundy gown from the 1400's.

"You like that one?" Sayoko asked, glancing at the dress.

"This must be new," Yamiko said. "I don't remember it." It was made of a heavy brocade with a black shift underneath it; a slit down the front of the dress and on the sleeves showed off the shift, which was embroidered with dark green leaves.

Sayoko raised an eyebrow. "What, you want to try and buy it? Like you did with that Victorian mourning gown?"

"Don't be stupid," Yamiko said, moving on. "Let's go to the Victorian section."

"Of course," Sayoko said, pulling out her cell phone and texting Minako.

"Who are you texting?" Yamiko asked.

"Just a girlfriend," Sayoko said. "Asked her if she wanted to go out to a club later tonight."

Yamiko shrugged and moved on.

* * *

Akiko bit her lip as she stood in front of Serenity's parlor. None of the senshi had ever kept a pet. Okay, so Rei had Phobos and Deimos and there were the mau cats, but they hardly qualified as pets. More like aliens.

"What's wrong, Akiko?" Akiko turned around. It was Haruko; Diana was perched cheerfully on her shoulder.

"I need to ask the Queen if I can bring pets into the palace."

Haruko smiled. "I can't see as that will be a problem around here," she replied. "It's practically a menagerie already."

"That's different. The cats and the crows...they're more like people than animals," Akiko replied. "They're intelligent...our trusted advisors. A pet is like a toddler. You have to watch it and take care of it...you can't expect it to understand detailed instructions...to behave itself perfectly."

Haruko frowned. "I can't imagine Serenity having a problem with a pet."

"Aha, well..." Akiko looked nervously off to the side and straightened the bow on her school uniform. "That's the thing...it's not just a pet...it's um...I was hoping to bring home several."

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "How many? And what kind of pets are we talking about?"

"Cats," Akiko replied. "Um...at least a dozen."

Diana's eyes widened. "That is a great deal of cats, Lady Vesta!"

"Where were you going to put them all?" Haruko asked.

"This place is huge. I figured I'd start them in my room and slowly expand their roaming area. Then we could have a cat or two to any given room in the palace."

Haruko sighed thoughtfully. "Hm. Serenity's a pushover, but Endymion...we'd better get backup."

"Backup?" Diana asked.

Haruko pulled out her communicator. "Usako, of course."

* * *

"Hold still!" Usako said, annoyed, looking up from her sketchbook toward Helios. He was supposed to be putting his arms gracefully on the pillar in front of him. Instead he kept putting them around his arms.

"It's cold!" Helios said. As part of her artistic pursuits, Usako had forced Helios to wear nothing but some boxers and an undershirt. "I'm going to be wearing clothing in the picture anyway. Why make me wear nothing but my underwear?"

"I have to have a proper understanding of the human figure," Usako replied. "Even if I won't be showing all of your legs, it's important to know where they _go_. You wouldn't want your legs all...here and there, would you?"

"I can't say as I've ever had that problem before," Helios replied. "But I guess I wouldn't like to start. Anyway, are you sure this is a good idea? Your father might...well, I'm not sure what would happen if he found out about this."

"Don't be silly, Helios," Usako replied. "This is artistic. Anyway, I didn't have you pose nude. And that's traditional. So you should see yourself as lucky."

"Yes, well..." Helios looked away, realizing he was blushing.

"Stop moving!" Usako growled. "Hands on the pillar! Face toward me!"

Helios cleared his throat and looked back toward Usako. "Sorry," he said.

Usako's parlor was quiet for a long time, filled with nothing but the gentle scratching sounds of graphite on paper. "So, Helios," she said. "What are you thinking about?"

'Eros," Helios said. "All the priests, really. The concept is still so weird to me...there're other priests."

"Well, I don't see how it's so weird," Usako said. "There's other sailor senshi. Why shouldn't there be other priests?"

"When I was in training," Helios replied, "they told us only Earth had a priest....the Moon and the Earth had the three powers because they were...special. Meant to be protected in a way that the other planets were not."

"Does it make you upset to know you aren't as...I don't know...special as you thought you were?" Usako asked.

"No...not really. Maybe a little, but..." he shrugged.

"I kind of feel the same way," Usako replied. "Even though I know I'm not the only one with a crystal..." she shrug. "Maybe I feel a little less important, but I almost feel a little...relieved. I mean some of the Moon Senshi are...well...they have problems. But the planetary senshi have crystals too, and I trust them more than myself with that kind of power. Anyway, I think the Moon Senshi will work through their issues eventually. I'm hardly in a position to criticize other people for having problems."

"Yeah," Helios agreed. "To be honest...I'm curious to get to know them. Was their training like mine? What kind of people are they?"

"Maybe you should go see Eros," Usako said, looking up from her drawing. "I'm sure he'd answer your questions. He seems like an amiable guy. He is Venusian, after all."

"Well, he did work for the enemy..."

"More out of a feeling of necessity, I think, than because he was truly convinced of their cause," Usako replied. "Anyway, Hotaru, the Quartet and I...we're both good people."

"You're right," Helios said decisively. "I should be less intimidated and just talk to him. I don't know what it is about him..." Helios shook his head.

"Neither do I," Usako said. "We're both older than he is in terms of experience. Or is it because he's more experienced with women?" she said with a smirk.

"N-no," Helios said. "You're making me blush again."

"You blush at the drop of a hat, sweetie," she said. "We both know it. You're like a girl."

"That's just..." Helios frowned. "I'll stop posing for you if you say stuff like that."

"Aw," she said, standing up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I was just teasing you."

"Good," he said, Putting his arms around her and kissing her.

Usako returned the kiss. She smiled as she pulled away. "Now, Helios, I didn't say you could stop--" Usako's communicator began to beep. She sighed and turned away, turning on the screen as she looked down at her watch. Helios peeked over her shoulder, concerned about what might be amiss. "Hello?"

"Hi, Usako, we--" Haruko blinked and stared.

"Oh, my," Diana said from her perch on Haruko's shoulder. "Sir Helios is not wearing his jacket! We have uncovered a rather scandalous scene!"

"Quiet Diana," Usako said. "You'll make him blush."

"I'm not blushing!" Helios said, annoyed. "I was only model--"

"I assume since you're using the communicator, this is some kind of emergency, so you'd better get to the point," Usako replied.

"Ah...um..." Haruko cleared her throat. "Well, it isn't an emergency. Should we, erm...leave you two to your devices?"

"We weren't doing anything!" Helios interjected.

"Unfortunately, he's right," Usako said. "Go ahead."

"Akiko, come over here," Haruko said. Akiko put herself in front of Haruko's watch-like communicator and smiled awkwardly. "I was wondering if you could help me...get a pet cat."

They interrupted Usako's...drawing session for this? "Why do you need my help to do that? We're not exactly a cat-allergic household."

"Yeah, but...um...I want a lot of cats. And not the talking variety." Akiko replied.

"Well, how many are we talking?" Usako asked.

"Um...." Akiko cleared her throat. "Maybe...between twelve and twenty-four?"

"Sol, that's a lot of cats!" Helios exclaimed. "Why do you want so many cats?"

"Um...could we maybe not talk about this over the com?" Akiko asked. "Why don't you come up to my room?"

"Sure," Usako said. "We'll be up in a minute." Usako pressed the button and Akiko's face blipped into darkness.

"Honestly," Helios said, grabbing his jacket and pulling it over his head. "That was embarrassing..."

"Aw," Usako said, wrapping her arms tightly around him and nestling her head in his wispy hair. "You aren't embarrassed to be seen with me, are you?"

"Well, I would be embarrassed to be seen with anyone under the circumstances," Helios replied. "It's not like we were even--well."

Usako sighed. "I know," she said. "Better luck next time, I guess."

"Usako!" Helios said.

Usako giggled. "You're so cute, Helios."

Helios sighed. "Let's go," he said, brushing his pants straight as he moved toward the door.

* * *

"Mom," Tokimo said, glancing up at her mother's shelf of books, "You read."

"Of course I do," Her mother said, looking up from the novel she was reading on their corduroy couch. "Why do you ask?"

"I want to be smarter," Tokimo announced, sitting up in her arm chair. "I need to read books to be smarter."

"My books..." Tokimo's mother paused, thinking of the saucy romances she usually read. "Are probably not what you're looking for."

"Aw. Well, what should I read?" Tokimo asked.

"Maybe you should work harder on your schoolwork, dear, if you want to be smarter," She suggested.

"That takes too long," Tokimo said dismissively, turning toward the window.

"Well," Tokimo's mother replied, "You could check out the library. Maybe you could look up some subjects you're interested in and read up on them." It wasn't as ideal as Tokimo becoming better at school work, but she supposed it was best to encourage Tokimo to become academic in any way that she could manage. "Maybe the librarian could recommend something."

"Hmmm," Tokimo hemmed thoughtfully. "I bet Yamiko and Seisui would know."

"Oh, yes! Bring your friends along. That could be a nice bonding experience." That was healthy for a teenage girl. Or at least that's what Kichi had read in the parenting magazines.

"'Kay," Tokimo said, moving to their phone.

"Oh! I'll make some cookies," Ms. Joshi said. "Everyone loves cookies."

* * *

"Minako," Helios said, waving as Minako straightened her hair. She stood in front of a mirror in the hallway; she seemed to have just stepped out of her office. Her hair was in a black bow; she wore a barely tasteful black tank top and mini skirt.

"Oh, hi Helios," She said. "What are you doing over here?"

"Usako is in Endymion's office....talking," Helios replied vaguely.

Minako raised an eyebrow. "They're going to be in there a while," she said.

"Yeah...so, what are you up to?"

"I'm going out with a girlfriend," she said. "Oh! You might know her. It's Sayoko. She's Yamiko's sister...Sailor Phoebe, you know."

"I know Yamiko," Helios replied. "Not that well. I'm not sure that I've met her sister, though."

"She's a blast," Minako replied. "We're trying to hook her back up with Eros. We're meeting him tonight, trying to make a game plan. Sayoko says she's got an idea."

"You're meeting Eros?" Helios said, suddenly interested.

"Yup. Is he ever fine! Too bad his heart belongs to Yamiko." she remarked. "And he's my uncle," she added under her breath.

"What sort of person is he, exactly?" Helios asked.

"You can come with me," Minako suggested. "I get the feeling she's going to be in there awhile. I'm surprised you're not in there with her, honestly."

"Usako says it's better if I'm not there when she's trying to get him to let her have something," Helios replied. "Something about reminding him of her younger days."

"Ah," Minako said with a grin, "I see."

"But I'd love to come with you," Helios said. "Just let me get in my civilian clothing. I'd like to talk to Eros a bit, myself."

"Curious to meet the priest of the number one planet in the solar system?" Minako asked with a wink.

"Something like that," Helios replied, smiling awkwardly.

* * *

"Oh, great," Eros said, appearing in front of the costume museum. "You two are together, and that can only mean trouble."

"I'm hurt," Minako said, pouting. "Aren't you glad to see me, Eros?"

"Maybe a little," he said, smiling slightly as he folded his arms.

"And me?" Sayoko said, smiling at Eros charmingly.

"Of course," he said. "Ah...you're the priest of Earth, right? Helios?"

Helios smiled. "That's right," he said, shaking Eros' hand. "I believe we only met briefly before."

"Well," Eros said, "it's nice to meet a priest that hasn't joined the forces of darkness."

"Um," Helios said awkwardly. "Thanks?"

"Anyway," Eros continued, "I assume you want something, based on the devious expressions on you girls' faces. So what is it?"

"Yamiko saw a dress in this museum," Sayoko said, indicating the costume museum. "I know you have special dress making powers."

"Actually, I had the intention of making Yamiko a dress from scratch," he replied, sitting on a nearby bench. "So this came at rather a good time. I was going to go to a draper in an hour or so anyway."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "What were you waiting for? Did you have a busy schedule?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, I was having trouble motivating myself to do it."

"Well, now you have Minako to motivate you!" Minako said, making a V symbol. "Com'on, Sayoko, show us this dress!"

* * *

"This dress is actually quite simple," Eros replied. "The embroidery is the only tricky part, and I'm sure I can do that."

"Why not just magic one up?" Minako asked. "Can't you do that?"

Eros smiled. "I can," he said. "But that's much less thoughtful, don't you think?"

"But Yamiko will never know you did it by hand," Minako observed, looking at the dress. "So really...what difference does it make?"

"It makes a difference to me," Eros said, folding his arms.

"I think it's sweet that you're making it by hand," Sayoko said. "I'm kind of keeping my involvement in this on the down-low for now, but if I get a good opportunity, I'll let her know you did it by hand."

"Are you going to try and make it exactly the same?" Minako asked.

"No," Eros replied. "I think Yamiko would look better in blue. I'll probably make the over dress black, since she's fond of that color. But I was thinking I might make the shift light blue with navy flowers, instead of the green."

"Hm," Sayoko murmured, resting a hand on her hips. "I'm not sure she'll take to a dress that's that light."

"Really?" Eros said, a little surprised. He examined the dress. "But I should think the overall effect would still be very dark. And if I make the shift dark blue, it will get lost in the black."

"Eros is right," Minako agreed. "And I think light blue would be cuter."

"It would bring out those eyes of hers," Sayoko agreed. "Well, If you feel that strongly about it, go for. Besides, Yamiko wears more white than she'd like to admit. As long as it isn't something vibrant. Or pink."

"And honestly," Minako added, imagining the dress in her minds' eye, "It would be so beautiful that I don't think she could resist wearing it, even if it's a little lighter than she's used to."

"Well, I had better go to the draper's now," Eros said with a sigh.

"You need drapes?" Minako asked, confused.

Eros laughed. "No. A draper is someone who sells cloth."

"Oooo!" Minako said, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I want to come along! I bet we can find a good cloth shop in Kyoto. Want to come, Sayoko?"

"I'd better not," Sayoko said. "Tokimo is watching Yamiko, but I don't feel right relying on her too much. Partly because Yami is my responsibility and partly because, well...it's Tokimo."

"Thank you for all of your help, Sayoko," Eros said.

"Take care of yourself, Eros," Sayoko said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She winked. "It'll work out. Just work that tailoring magic." Eros returned a weak smile and Sayoko headed off toward her home.

"Would you like to come along, Helios?" Minako said. "You two can talk priest...stuff in the train."

"Ah, thank you," Helios said. "If you don't mind, Eros."

"Of course not," He replied. "I get the feeling you have questions for me, Helios."

* * *

"So..." Helios began, looking at Eros a little awkwardly. Minako treated them all to Kyoto bentos; Helios poked at his pickles While Eros chewed on his onigiri and looked spacily out the window. "There are priests for all of the planets?"

"That's right," Eros replied, looking at Helios. "There used to be maenads, too. But I can only assume they have all met their end."

"What were they--are they--like?"

"Well, you can imagine that most of us have more than our fair share of problems," Eros said with a smile. "Coeus of Metis is the priest of Mercury. He's a genius--don't ever, ever tell him I admitted that--but he's a cynical, misogynistic prick. Tokimo seems to think she can seduce him and turn him good, but honestly, I'm skeptical. Not to mention I don't really approve of her manipulating people."

"Wait--Tokimo is going to try and seduce the priest of Mercury?" Helios replied. Minako snickered.

Eros shrugged. "That's what she said. I don't know if she plans on going through with it...she asked for my help but I wouldn't give it to her."

"Aw, why not, Eros? The power of love cures all!"

"Because Tokimo isn't in love with Coeus," Eros replied. "She's just trying to make him fall in love with her so he'll switch sides. As far as I know, her interest in him doesn't extend beyond that."

"Aw," Minako said, biting on the end of her chopstick in disappointment. She grabbed a piece of egg before continuing. "But what if she does fall in love with him? Then it's all good, right?"

"Honestly, Eros, I'm not sure it's a chance we can afford to let go," Helios replied. "If Coeus does join us, through whatever methods, we'll have Mercury's three powers reunited as well. That could be an invaluable gain to us against Nemesis...an incalculable loss to her."

Eros sighed. "I hate to admit it, but you may be right, Helios," he agreed. "Nemesis is....monstrously powerful. We may need the aid of _all_ of the three powers to defeat her. I just fear that Tokimo's plan, even if it were to succeed, could make Coeus become even more bitterly misogynistic...unless Minako's right, of course."

"Who is Nemesis, exactly?" Helios asked.

"That's a question we should save for the meeting," Minako interjected. "There's no reason for Eros to repeat himself five times. Why is Coeus a misogynist? There must be a reason. He couldn't have come out of the womb hating girls."

"I'm not sure," Eros replied. "Mercury was never a patriarchy--none of the planets were--so he must have personal reasons for hating them. Many of us were politically manipulated by our mothers. Sol was basically a collection of matriarchal planets; sailor senshi are more powerful than the male knights, so women naturally found their way into positions of power. Sons--at least the sons of a star's crown Queen or King--were considered expendable, used as guards or soldiers. Hence most planetary sons were groomed to become priests whenever possible--a son was gotten rid of and a Queen's power was extended." Eros looked at Helios curiously. "Are you related to the King, Helios?"

"No," Helios replied. "I was the son of a military family. I never really...fit in. I trained to become a priest instead."

Eros glanced Helios over. "I'm not surprised. You don't strike me as...well, anyway. That might have something to do with Coeus' misogyny. Or maybe he had a lover that jilted him....Or a girl got a better score on a test. Who knows?"

Minako giggled, thinking of Ami's intellectually combative streak....especially with male competitors. "He sounds like he has a little in common with Ami--the Princess of Mercury."

"From what I understand, Princess Mercury is a sweet, obliging sort of girl," Eros replied. "Coeus is not like that at all. Coeus thinks he's hot shit and anyone who disagrees can move to Hades."

"Hades?" Helios asked.

"The holy land of Pluto," Eros replied. "A desolate place. They say no one may enter but the priest and the senshi of time, Pluto and Charon. The only holy land with no maenads...not even the senshi of Pluto's periphery moons, Nyx and Hydra, were allowed on those lands." Eros paused a moment, taking a bite of his lunch. "In fact...Mauros, the priest of Hades, is Coeus' brother. Or so he says. I never really knew Mauros, but there is something about him...it's like he looks at things, but he doesn't really see them. I can't even explain it...and Coeus..." Eros shuddered. "It's like he keeps his brother in shackles, almost. He bosses him around and tries to keep him away from the world. It's not...healthy."

"Why do you think he does it?" Helios asked.

"I'm not sure," Eros said, tapping his fingers on the table. "Mauros is powerful. I think Coeus may do it to manipulate him...to use him in battle against us. Coeus may act arrogant, but he's no fool. He knows that this is the toughest front in Nemesis' fight. And he has been preparing himself for that front from the beginning."

Minako frowned. "Fronts? Then that means..."

"Yes," Eros said gravely. "I'm afraid that Nemesis is working all over the world."

"I thought this ominous feeling was only because of the recent events that I knew of," Helios murmured. "But it seems that the rest of Earth is being attacked too."

"It may be because the rest of Earth is being protected as well," Eros replied. "There are Moon Senshi all over the planet right now. Many of them awoke in the wake of our attacks."

"I've heard rumors of that," Minako agreed. "And the two you summoned must have come from somewhere. I just hope they're getting along okay without us."

"They should be fine," Eros replied. "The Moon Senshi are strong...if we get back more of the crystals, they will be much, much stronger."

"Hopefully that's possible," Helios added. "What about the other priests? What are they like?"

"Crius is the priest of Ares, the holy land of Mars," Eros continued. "He's a madman with a taste for blood. He didn't used to be that way, back in the day...when he joined Nemesis, he...changed."

"I suppose our chances are not very good with him," Helios said somberly.

"Unless you were to purify him, I imagine not," Eros replied. "Themis guards Zeus, holy land of Jupiter. He's a drunkard with a horrible temper, but he usually keeps out of everyone's way...probably best that way. Then there's Morpheus...or I should say, Rhea."

"Morpheus...that's the priest of Saturn, right?

"Yes," Eros said. "Well, Cronus. She changed her sex when she joined Nemesis. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. Iolaus represents Ouranos--Uranus' holy land. He's an inscrutable man...serious and brave. I've heard that he's not from Uranus at all, but originated from Saturn."

"Do you know where?" Helios asked.

Eros just shrugged. "We were pretty caught up in our own plans...when I talked to the others, it was usually to annoy them or vice-versa. The last priest is Oceanus of Poseidon. He's even more self-absorbed than Coeus, which is saying something. He's crafty, though--a man I wouldn't put anything past. Coeus makes out like he's a monster, and maybe that's true enough, but I fear he does not have half the cruelty in him that Oceanus does."

"Oceanus...he attacked Seisui that one time," Helios remarked.

"That's true," Eros replied. "He's ambitious, wanted to get in on my front. Seisui is a powerful target for Nemesis."

"Why?" Minako asked.

"I'll wait until this supposed meeting to get into it," Eros repiled. "But suffice to say, we take energy from miserable people. Seisui is very miserable."

"Do you think we can get the rest of the crystals?" Helios asked.

Eros sighed. "It's hard to say. On one hand, most of us have...a lot of problems. There's a reason why we were willing to join a madwoman. But on the other hand...our reasons often had more to do with survival than enthusiasm. For many of the priests, I believe if you convince them that they are safer and happier on your side, they will join you."

"Let's hope you're right," Helios said. "Of course...I hope if we are able to convince them to join, we will find a way to get along."

Eros shrugged. "If you get them far enough along that they're willing to join, I'm sure we can work something out," He said. "Besides--you're so good natured, Helios, it's hard to believe that anyone wouldn't get along with you.

Helios smiled. "Thank you, Eros."

* * *

"All right, you guys," Tokimo said, leading Seisui and Yamiko into the public library. "Here's my mission. Become smart, seduce Coeus! So. You guys are smart. Find me a book that'll make me smart, too!"

"Hopeless," Yamiko said. "You could read every book in this library and you'd still be dense as a rock."

Tokimo stuck out her tongue. "Just wait, I'll be smarter than you by the time I'm done!"

"You should start with literature," Seisui replied. "If you try to read something too informative, you'll just get bored and give up. If you read literature, it will challenge you to think about the world around you but it will still engage you in a story. Sometimes I've even become interested in real-life subjects because of the literature I've read."

"Huh," Tokimo said. "What kinda book should I read? Is there any classic literature with fish?"

"Fish?" Seisui raised an eyebrow. Moby Dick immediately came to mind, but as well as being a real slog of a read, it was technically about a whale. No, Tokimo would need something exciting. "How about..._20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_? Erm, that's not exactly about _fish_, but..."

"Okay," Tokimo said. "But let's get some fish books too. I need to learn about fish."

"Why are you so interested in fish all of a sudden?" Yamiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Coeus likes fish," Tokimo said. "And I want Coeus to like me. Oh! Boto dolphins, too."

Seisui looked surprised. "Coeus likes Boto dolphins?" Seisui said. "I wonder if they lived on Mercury."

"I dunno," Tokimo said. "Maybe I should get him a little pink dolphin plushie."

Seisui smiled. "I have to admit...that's adorable."

"You could make a little card that goes with it," Yamiko replied dryly, "That tells what you've learned about Boto dolphins."

"Oooh! That's a great idea! I could write it in glitter pens with stencils!"

"Maybe you should get videos instead of books, Tokimo," Seisui suggested. "We could watch some documentaries on fish and sea life. That would probably be more stimulating than reading a book by yourself."

"We could do it at Yamiko's house! She has a big TV, and it would keep her from thinking about killing herself!"

"No," Yamiko said. "Absolutely no--"

"Let's go pick out our documentaries!"

* * *

"Daddy," Usako said, stepping into Endymion's stately office. He was typing something on a laptop at his huge ebony desk. He glanced over at her, his eyes tired and thoughtful. He smiled weakly.

"What is it, Chibi-Usa?" he asked. Usako let it slide; she was trying to get on his good side, and anyway, it mostly only bothered her when everyone was around.

Usako smiled hopefully. "Well, you know how we give all that money to the Ark shelter every year, right? You and Mom even go to their annual dog walk and everything."

"Do you want a dog...?" Endymion said a little hesitantly. "Dogs are a lot of work, Chibi-Usa, and you have--"

"Just a cat, actually," Usako interjected. "Well, it's actually Vesta who wants the cat."

"Oh, well...that should be fine. As long as she takes care of it."

"And well...she wants a few cats."

"Well, how many?"

"....a couple dozen?" Usako said hopefully.

Endymion raised an eyebrow. "Why does Princess Vesta need as many cats as that?" he paused. "She's not planing on training them all, is she? Some kind of....cat circus?"

Usako didn't think so, but she thought that was kind of a fun idea. "I think she wants to give them a home," Usako replied. "People just leave them in the park. We have a lot of room here, so I guess she figured that she could make a place for them in the palace." Usako sat down on a chair across from her father's desk. "I think it would be nice to have cats wandering around the palace. I mean, she's right--this place is huge. It's not like there would be five cats in the same place at the same time. This place is big, dad, and there's a lot of us, but most of it is still empty. I think having some cats around would make things more inviting."

Her father sighed. "I suppose."

"Thank you daddy," Usako said, hugging him tightly. Mamoru smiled warmly as Chibi-Usa left the room.

"How did it go?" Akiko asked timidly.

Usako put her thumb up.

Akiko hugged her. "Thanks, Usako!" she said happily.

"Eh, it's no big deal," she replied.

* * *

Yamiko grimaced as Tokimo and Seisui joined her in the elevator to her apartment.

"We can make popcorn!" Tokimo said. "Maybe Yamiko will have to, or else we'll burn it."

"You can make your own damn popcorn," Yamiko said dismissively. Tokimo frowned. There was a long, awkward silence. "You know, Tokimo...." Yamiko could feel a lump forming in her throat. She couldn't decide whether to continue or not. Part of her screamed that it was none of her business, but when she thought of Kane...

Kane...

"Yamiko?" Tokimo asked, frowning as she saw teardrops swimming delicately in Yamiko's eyes.

"You're just using someone, Tokimo," Yamiko said unevenly. "You're no different than _him_. Trying to get inside Coeus' head and get him to fall in love with you, when you don't even care about his feelings. You're just...using him."

Tokimo frowned. "That's not true," Tokimo said. "What, you think that Coeus is gonna be happier with Nemesis? With the _bad guys_?" She shook her head. "Way I see it, I'm doing him a favor, helping him get over whatever priesty angst he's got. And anyway, what makes you so sure I don't care about him, huh? I mean, yeah...he's kinda a jerkface and I wouldn't have chosen him first for a potential date. But he's...he's not all bad. I'm enjoying spending time with him." Tokimo folded her arms. "Honestly. Am I the kinda person who would spend so much effort on a guy I hated?"

"You're the kind of person who, once you get some idea in your head, will pursue it relentlessly," Yamiko replied. "You got the idea in your head that Coeus was your new project and you were going to 'fix' him. So yes. You are the kind of person to spend so much effort on a guy you hated. As long as you think you're on some big adventure, you'll do whatever you think you have to."

"Yeah well--" Tokimo paused awkwardly, trying to gather her wits. "Isn't love the biggest adventure of them all?!"

Yamiko scoffed. "I suppose you're right," she said. "And just like real love, it only looks good in your stupid comics. In real life, love is dismal and miserable."

"That's not true," Tokimo said. "My parents fell in love and they've been happy all along. Seisui's mom and dad woulda been happy too, if--well anyway, the Queen and King are a happy couple too, and so are Helios and Usako." Seisui frowned as Tokimo said this, but said nothing. "So there's all kinds of happy love stories. And I bet yours'll be one too, if you stop lying around and moping."

"Don't blame me if this whole thing ends with Coeus spitting in your face," Yamiko said.

Tokimo shrugged. "Like I said," she replied, "I think Coeus will be happier with me than he ever was on Nemesis--than he has been anywhere. If I can prove to him that girls kick ass, I think I've done him a favor."

"I think Tokimo is right, honestly," Seisui said a little timidly. "I can't imagine Coeus is happy living on that dismal place. Anyway, Tokimo has good intentions, whatever the outcome."

The elevator dinged and they got off on Yamiko's floor; Yamiko sighed as she led them to her apartment. Really, what did it matter? Coeus was a monster, so what did they have to lose? She remembered when they had fought him...no...more like...she had fell victim to him. The cage, the youma...his cold blue stare. His icy pale skin that looked as though it could freeze you. A frown that looked disdainfully on the world.

_"She cheered when they died and went on a big shopping spree. Bought those weird black clothes she wears. They cost a fortune, you know."_

_"As if she doesn't look creepy enough already--like she's made of snow."_

Yamiko stopped at her door, her hand frozen on the cool doorknob.

"Are you all right, Yamiko?" Tokimo asked.

"Yeah," she said, trying the doorknob. It opened; Sayoko must be home. "It's nothing."

"Hiya," Sayoko said. "Glad to see you went out. Where did you go?"

"We went to the library and got a documentary on fish!" Tokimo said enthusiastically. "Coeus likes fish, and I want Coeus to like me, so I'm learning about fish."

"I-I see," Sayoko said awkwardly. "Well, why don't you guys watch it on the set? We'll order take-out tonight. What do you want, Yami?"

"Not sushi," Yamiko said.

"That's not an answer. That's a....not answer. Give me something to work with."

"I don't know...pizza I guess," she said disinterestedly.

"I think I'll get cod roe pizza!" Sayoko said happily.

"Broccoli and black olives," Yamiko said hastily. "And eggplant."

Tokimo popped in the video and a cheery young woman's voice came over the speakers, along with brilliant pictures of river fish and murky waters. Seisui sat down next to her; Yamiko reluctantly slinked over and watched the projection of gently moving water on the screen.

* * *

Mayumi frowned as she sat at her desk. Writing lyrics was not as easy as it looked. She knew that she would have to have roughly the same amount of syllables in the same places in the melody line. Her composer had given her a song that hadn't been lyricized yet, so she at least had something to work with. She had asked for something romantic, and he gave her his newest piece, which was appropriately wistful and warm.

"Oh, Kuro," she said, stopping the music on her computer. "It doesn't matter. You're way too dense hear my feelings through a song." she smiled to herself. She wasn't even sure he would hear her feelings if she was upfront about it. He seemed so childlike that he might not even know about such things.

But of course that was silly. She shook her head and tried to concentrate. Even if he didn't know, she had to try her best. How would she write a song that would really speak to him...to them?

"Hm," she said. What did she think of when she thought about Kuro? "He's tall and dark and handsome," she said, blushing a little. "And he has a warm smile. And he's sweet and innocent. But..." She wished she knew more about him. She always felt as though there was something he was hiding. Something he was afraid of. "I hope you're not afraid of me, Kuro."

There was a knock at the door. "Sweetie, can I come in?"

"Come in, Daddy," Mayumi said, blushing a little as she put Kuro out of her thoughts.

"Memorizing the lyrics for your concert?" he asked.

"I was," Mayumi said, "But now I'm trying to write some lyrics. I want in time for the concert this Friday."

"Mayumi...I really don't think you can have a whole new song ready by then."

"I know it's ambitious," Mayumi said hastily. "But I really want to do this. Give me a chance, okay? If I can't sing it perfectly by dress rehearsal, we'll wait."

"Remember that you need to be able to sing all your other music properly, Mayumi," he replied. "It's no good if you sing this song perfectly and everything else sounds rough. And if you're taking piano lessons on top of everything..."

"Piano lessons can start after the concert," She said. "Between shooting and prepping for this concert, it's not the best time to start up a new instrument anyway. We'll wait until the concert is over, then start lessons. All right? Please?"

"Okay," Her father said uneasily, patting her on the shoulder. "Work hard, sweetie. And get plenty of rest and munchies!"

"I will," she said, smiling back at him.

* * *

"I have something for you," Seisui said. They were eating outside on Erik's porch; the weather was approaching summer warmth, and it was pleasant in the shade of the maple and beech trees overshadowing Erik's home. Ikkoku watched Erik as he looked at Seisui with a peculiar expression; Even Ikkoku was not sure what it meant, but she hoped it betrayed some sort of feeling toward the young girl. He said nothing as Seisui reached in her bag--she had left it lying nearby--and pulled out a golden music box. "I think this is yours," she said, handing him the box.

Erik took the box so delicately Ikkoku almost thought, for a moment, he believed it was made of paper. He looked at the black lettering on the top--his family name emblazoned in bold lettering--and opened the lid of the box. Ikkoku swore that something flickered across his face, just for a moment, as Greenleeves gently played. Erik snapped the music box shut and put it aside. "It....it is mine," he said at last.

"I don't believe that your parents were really in debt," Seisui said. "I...I know what it's like for all the things that remind you of home to be taken away."

"It doesn't matter," Erik replied. "What's gone is gone. Things can't bring them back."

"I--I'm sorry," Seisui said. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought this."

"No," Erik replied hastily. "I'm glad you did. I..." he shrugged indifferently. "Well, it would be nice to have a few more of the things that I lost." He smiled weakly.

They were silent for a long time as they ate the dinner Erik had brought outside and laid elegantly on a blue linen cloth. Ikkoku forced herself to keep quiet. If she wanted this damn boy to connect to anyone, she'd have to butt out for once.

"Thank you for teaching me to fence," Seisui said. "I don't think I ever thanked you properly."

"It's all right," he replied. "It's my duty as a knight to help you."

Seisui smiled weakly. "Glad to know you care."

"I didn't mean--" Erik cleared his throat. "Well. It's not like I wasn't worried about you at all, either."

"Then why did you say that?"

"I guess..." He looked out at his broad, shady yard. There were patches of fern and moss everywhere, and a small pond had modest white lilies blooming on its surface. "I guess I'm not really used to thinking about someone's welfare in more personal terms."

"There's nothing wrong with connecting to someone," Seisui replied. "...as long as you know you can trust them."

"I suppose I have just fallen out of the habit."

"Of trusting people?" Seisui said a little skeptically.

"Yes," He replied. "When you've lived as long as I have...seen the things I've seen...it's often seems better not to."

"That's a hopeful thought for my future," Seisui said sourly.

"Oh?" Erik replied. "I would think you would be anxious to agree. But...don't let my past discourage you. Most people have a better go of things."

"How so?" she asked.

"Do you remember your past life, Seisui?"

"A little," she said. "Only hints. I remember my death and little else."

"You should feel lucky you remember only that," Erik replied.

Seisui looked at him, expecting him to say more, but he never did. "So...your grandfather, he was he from Japan?"

"Yes," Erik replied. "My mother was half American and half Japanese. We used to travel a lot, around the world, when I was younger. And I...traveled a lot when they died, too."

"Where did you go?" Seisui asked.

"When I was older, I stole a horse from my parent's stables--she was ours, but the debt collectors were going to take her away--and traveled the southern coast from western Spain to Korea. Well, I hugged the Mediterreanean and worked my way down afterward. The Ivory Coast isn't exactly balmy."

"That must have taken you a very long time!" Seisui said, a little shocked.

"Indeed," he replied, "I spent a good forty years doing that. I wasn't exactly on a schedule. And of course I wasn't in a hurry to make my way east during the war. Not that I count myself a coward, but that enemy was a little beyond my abilities at the time," he said. Most people tried not to talk about the Black Moon family, but the shadow of that war still hung in the air now and again.

"You must have met a lot of people..." Seisui said. "Seen a lot of things."

"Yes," Erik replied. "I saw the pyramids, the parthenon, the churches and mosques of Toledo...Angor Wat and the Forbidden City. It was impressive, I suppose."

"But it would have been better if someone was there to see it with you," Ikkoku said. "Right?"

Erik gave her a look before continuing. "Perhaps," he said evasively. "Perhaps not."

"Well," Seisui said, "Maybe someday I can travel the world, too." They ate in awkward silence for awhile before Seisui continued. "I'm a little envious of where you live," she said. "When I'm here, I feel at ease."

"You can come here whenever you like," Erik replied. "I know you're struggling right now. If this is a place that brings you comfort, I encourage you to visit often."

"R-really?"

"Of course," He replied. "It's not like there's not enough space."

Which was true. Erik's home was huge, as big as a typical Japanese inn, so it was perfectly possible for Seisui to stay the night in a seemly manner.

"Thank you," she said, with the faintest hint of a smile. "I appreciate that."

* * *

Fuyuko was beaming as they walked into school. Her hair was braided in a semi circle around the top of her head with four small accent braids hanging freely, their ends terminated in little rose barrettes. It had taken her three hours, struggling with her short hair, but she did it.

"Your hair looks nice today, Fuyuko," Haruko remarked.

"Kazeko taught me," she said. "It took me 3 hours."

Usako grinned. "Is that more or less time than your normal one?"

Fuyuko stuck out her tongue. "More," She said. "My other one is just a bun with a hairpiece on it. You should see how long it takes Natsuko to do her hair. She just leaves it up days at a time 'cause it's such a pain."

"Did Kazeko teach you that hairstyle?" Usako asked.

Fuyuko nodded. "Yeah. It's a mega-hard one. I can do it on your hair sometime if you want. It'd be tons easier with your hair, 'cause you have a lot more."

"Sounds like fun," Usako said. One of the nice things about having a civilian life is that you could change your hairstyle more often. They were expected to wear their hair in their typical, most recognizable style when they wore their royal attire.

"Kazeko!" Fuyuko shouted, waving toward her friend. Kazeko smiled and walked next to the window where Usako and her friends had stopped.

"Where are the other two?" Kazeko asked, curiously.

"Track," Fuyuko replied. "Check it out!" she said, turning around and pointing to her braid.

"Oh my," Kazeko said, impressed. "You've managed half a crown, and with your short hair!"

"It was awful," Fuyuko admitted. "My arms still hurt."

Kazeko smiled weakly. "You'll get faster at it."

"Hey," Fuyuko continued, "What are you doing after school today? We could hang out again!"

"I was going to go hiking on Mount Mitake," Kazeko said. "But you're welcome to come along."

"Mount Mitake?" Fuyuko repeated.

"It's a famous mountain near here," Usako told her. "There's a shrine at the top; Rei goes there to pray occasionally."

"Huh," Fuyuko said. "I don't really have hiking clothes, though," she said.

"Just buy some after school," Haruko suggested. "Shouldn't take too long."

"Hm," Fuyuko replied. "Maybe I will go. Do you mind if we grab some things beforehand?

Kazeko tried not to frown. She hated clothes shopping. A lot. "Sure, sounds like fun," she said with a weak smile.

"I'll try to be quick," Fuyuko said, looking hard at Kazeko. Kazeko felt her heart beat a little faster; did Fuyuko pick up on her lie? If she did, what would she think of her? She hoped that she hadn't.

"Anyway, we better get to class, huh?" Fuyuko said, smiling at Kazeko.

"Yes," she said. "See you at club, Fuyuko."

* * *

Mauros walked up to the concert hall, where a man was taking people's tickets. Mayumi had very kindly told him where the concert was and what to do when he got there. He quite was sure he wouldn't have known that he had to go up to a special window where they took people's tickets when they already had them. The man took his ticket and directed him to the stage; Mauros walked there by himself, feeling awkward. Doing things without his brother was difficult. He knew so little about the world, especially about this modern world. Were his clothes funny or out-of-place? They looked similar to other people's clothing to him, but it would be easy for him to miss some all-important detail of dress. Everyone glanced at him, but he wasn't sure why. He hoped it was just because he was so much taller and lighter than they. But he feared it was for some other reason. He entered the dim lighting of the concert hall and sat down; he instantly felt more at ease. He was less visible here, more...at home. And with all of these people, he didn't feel that crushing desolation....

Two girls who sat next to him were staring at him with an intense gaze. "Do I look strange?" he asked them, concerned.

"N-no," one of them said, blushing. "You look fine."

Mauros wasn't sure if he was satisfied with this answer, but it was too late to go back and change clothing now. As it stood, he was really quite afraid that Coeus would find out where he was. He told his brother he was going to sleep for the night and piled some pillows on his bed under the covers. Hopefully that would be good enough.

Eventually, the lights dimmed and Mayumi came on stage admist smoke and excited clapping. Mauros thought he had better clap too, since everyone else was. Mauros smiled as Mayumi waved to the people gathered in front of her. She was wearing a very puffy outfit. It reminded Mauros of the pastries they shared. He smiled at the memory; just thinking about that moment, eating pastries in the park on that warm day, made him feel warm and happy. He cheered her name as she walked up to the microphone and waved animatedly, hoping that she might notice him in the crowd. He was sitting near the front, but he didn't hold out much hope anyway. There were a lot of people here.

"This is a special song for someone important to me," she said. Mauros felt his heart race as he sat down. She couldn't mean him, could she...? He shook his head. Mayumi must have thousands of admirers, and even if she didn't...why did it matter so much if it was him?

"_I can see your dark profile  
standing in the sun  
My heart will jump a mile  
hoping you're the one,_" she sang. She continued to sing about the hope that her strong feelings would be returned. Before long the melody changed and she moved on to the chorus.

"_You're an engima  
with long hair and dark eyes  
Your words speak of innocence  
but your eyes say they're lies,_" she sang. Mauros hung on her words anxiously. He had long hair and dark eyes. He was pretty sure he had to have longer hair than anyone else she knew. But there was an ominous bent to her words. It's clear that she liked whoever she was talking about in this song, and if it was him, it made him happy. But if it truly was him, it meant that she could tell he wasn't being honest with her. Mauros wanted to be honest with her. He wanted to tell her that his name wasn't Kuro and he wasn't even from Earth. But he was afraid of what Coeus would do. So afraid....

"_Flowers you picked yourself  
mean much more to me  
Than a diamond off the shelf_--"

Mauros stood up at once and stared into Mayumi's eyes. Everyone else had sat down during this slow song, so for a brief moment, he was the only one standing in a sea of people. He was almost certain she returned the gaze and blushed even as she continued the song. The moment was over as quickly as it came; all of the other fans stood up and began waving their electronic devices in the air, the screens glowing ominously. Mayumi began to sing to the crowd again, instead of at him.

Mauros had been realizing more and more recently that he felt quite differently toward Mayumi than he did toward anyone else, even his brother. He loved his brother very much, but when he was with Mayumi, he always felt warm and happy. When he was away from her, he always felt an overwhelming desire to see her again, even if he had been with her minutes before. He simply couldn't account for why he felt so strongly toward her. He started at her warm smile. It was--

A loud crash resounded throughout the auditorium. A huge, mechanical songbird dove through the rafters of the auditorium, bringing lights and stage equipment with it. Mayumi's backup performers screamed; a dancer was about to fall under the rubble. Mauros could see a stage light falling straight toward Mayumi's head as he watched helplessly on....

"Chronos, stop!" he screamed. The world turned suddenly silent; Mayumi gasped for breath and moved out of the way of the stage light.

She turned toward him, the only other moving figure in a sea of statues. He teleported to Mayumi as his vestments appeared around him and his hair streamed behind him. "K-Kuro...?" she said.

Mauros didn't waste any time explaining. As it was, he knew he could only stop time long enough to move her. He would just have to hope that her friends would be healed later. He took her in his arms as he teleported again, this time to the back of the room; Mayumi turned toward him as the crashing sounds resumed on stage.

"W-who....are you...?" She said wonderingly, staring at him.

"I'm sorry, Mayumi," Mauros replied. "I promise I will tell you everything later. "But please tell me the truth, Mayumi. You are a sailor senshi, are you not?"

Mayumi looked a little guilty. "Yes," she replied. "I am Sailor Io. How did you know?"

"Time never stops for a senshi," Mauros replied. "My brother has made a horrible mistake. I must correct him." Mauros teleported to the stage; the bird opened its mouth and a melody of infinite sorrow burst forth. All of the people on stage began to weep, a dark, misty smoke curled upward and wafted toward the bird.

"Brother!" Mauros shouted. "I know that you are here. I must speak with you!"

Coeus jumped down from the beams of the stage and looked towards Mauros in surprise. "I thought you were asleep," he said darkly. "Why did you deceive me?"

"Coeus, you have to stop. This isn't a game at all. We're hurting these people! Just like I was hurt! We have to stop this!"

"Who told you this?" Coeus said, narrowing his eyes and walking up to his brother. "Who told you these lies!?"

"My guardian planet is a diety floating in time and space...the soldier of revolution, Sailor Pluto!" Sailor Pluto appeared before them, her Garnet Rod in her hand. "Someone has broken the final taboo. That will not be countenanced!"

"I'm the senshi of time and stuff, too! Sailor Charon!" Charon announced. "Time stopped and it was freaky! So I came to figure out what the heck was going on!"

Pluto put a hand to her forehead. "Charon..." she said, sighing.

"There will be time for explanations later," Mauros said dismissively. "Coeus...tell me...why did you lie?"

"It's whoever has told you otherwise that lies," Coeus. "Who told you this wasn't a game?"

"It's a secret," Mauros said stubbornly. "It was someone that wouldn't lie."

Sailor Pluto did not waste time involving herself in what seemed a personal conflict any longer.. "Chronos Typhoon!" she shouted, sending a gray tornado toward the nightingale. It's wings were ripped apart but it continued its ominous song half-broken.

"Chaos compass!" Charon cried. She appeared next to the youma and speared it's head with her naginata. The naginata was stuck in the machine's head, but its song became distorted and the fog dispersed.

"Oh, honestly!" Coeus said, irritated. He held out his hand and a burst of icy wind flew toward Tokimo. She screamed in pain as her lower legs were frozen in a block of ice.

"Sailor Charon!" Pluto cried, teleporting to her side. "Take more care," she said, frustrated.

"One of us is lying," Coeus replied, turning away from Charon and back toward his brother. "Me, or your mystery friend. Do you trust this person more, even when I've taken care of you all these years? Even when I saved you from Hades?"

"If they aren't in pain," Mauros said, "Why are they screaming?"

"Senshi don't scream when they're in pain," Coeus said hastily. "They just do it because they're angry that you've beaten them."

"This is bad," Pluto said, looking at Charon. "There's no way I can use my powers to release you safely."

Charon grimaced as the ice moved toward her chest. "Can't you just go back in time or something?! You're the senshi of freaking time!"

"Manipulating time in that way is forbidden," Pluto replied.

"What good are super powers if you can't use them?" Charon scoffed.

"Double drill!" Io's voice cried out. She pulled apart the spiral of fire and ice that rushed from her hands. From one hand, A roaring fire streamed forward and melted away the ice at Charon's feet. She aimed the ice half of her attack at the back wall, where it ineffecutally froze the drum set. "Kuro!" Io cried, running through the now-empty auditorium seats and up to the stage. "Tell me...have you been attacking the sailor senshi?"

"I will tell you everything soon, Mayumi," Mauros replied.

"Is this the harlot that's been telling you lies, Mauros? It figures that I would have a woman to blame," he spat.

"Leave her out of this!" Mauros snapped.

Sailor Pluto held her Garnet rod aloft. "Dead..."

"No!" Charon shouted, summoning her naginata to her hand and hitting the Garnet Rod, interrupting Pluto's attack. "Don't hurt Coeus!"

Pluto looked at Charon, alarmed. "Why are you so reluctant to attack now...? You've never been known for your forbearance."

Charon couldn't tell Pluto it was because she was dating him. "'Cause..." she stammered, trying to think of something to say. But all she could think of was Coeus' deep, blue eyes as he looked into the aquarium so sadly...

"Charon is right," Io said. "Kuro's brother is dear to him. We musn't hurt him!"

"R-right!" Charon agreed.

"You're all fools and weaklings," Coeus said with a smirk. "It will be easier to kill you this way." He held out his hand again and a blast of cold air flew toward them.

"Garnet ball!" Sailor Pluto cried, and a dome appeared around the three senshi. The air blew around the stage, freezing more equipment and the floor and walls.

"Chaos compass!" Charon cried. She appeared in front of Coeus and held her naginata toward his throat. "I don't want to hurt you," she said. "So unless you're going to join the good guys, get out of here, Coeus!"

"You _are_ weak," he scoffed. "I can tell you're bluffing."

"N-no..." Tokimo stuttered.

"She's bluffing," Sailor Pluto said, looking at Coeus coldly, her Garnet Rod aimed toward him. "But I'm not."

Coeus stared into her burgundy eyes. "You have my brother's eyes," he said at last. "Mauros, we will talk more at the castle," he added before disappearing.

"Mayumi..." Mauros murmured, his eyes dark and sad. His long, robe-like vestments hung about him like a cowl.

"You must go," Io said, taking his hand. "Meet me tomorrow at the park. Tell me everything then."

Mauros nodded. "At the park," he repeated, looking into her crimson eyes.

But as he disappeared, he feared he would not be there tomorrow.

* * *

Sailor Pluto looked toward Charon and Io with a face that was half-concerned and half-accusing. "Who is that man that stopped time?"

"That was Mauros, of Hades," Charon replied. "The priest of Pluto."

"So," Pluto said. "The priest of our holy land has shown himself."

"He's kind and gentle," Io protested. "He's just lost because his brother is lying to him. Please, Sailor Pluto...don't hurt him."

"Why does his brother lie to him?" She asked.

"To protect him," Charon replied. "...I think. Because he doesn't want Mauros to suffer, knowing he's hurting someone."

"He will only suffer the more for that in the end," Pluto replied. "Why does he not suffer the consequences of breaking the final taboo?"

"Wait, wait, back up. What's the final taboo?" Io asked.

"To stop time. To break that taboo is to forfeit one's life," Pluto explained.

"Maybe it's only taboo for you," Charon suggested. "Maybe it's not for me and Mauros."

"Can you stop time, as well?" Pluto asked.

"No," Charon replied instantly. She was not sure how, but she was completely sure that she could not stop time.

"Hm," Pluto said. She turned toward Io. "Do you think that Mauros will leave Nemesis and join the sailor senshi?"

"I...I think so," she said. She felt a painful surge in her chest. "I hope so."

"You and Mauros are in love, aren't you, Io?" Charon said sympathetically.

Without warning, Io could feel teardrops sliding down her face. She nodded. "I...I didn't know...I feel...so foolish..." The tears turned into sobs. "Kuro...I hope it doesn't end like this..."

Charon took Io in her arms and her fuku dissolved in a flurry of ice and fire. All that remained was a young girl in a frilly, disheveled dress. Mayumi returned the hug, even though she didn't even know this stranger. She had perfected a stage persona over the years she had worked, trained herself not to react around strangers...but now...

"It's okay," Charon said. "He loves you. Didn't you see the look in his eyes?"

"But does he love me more than he loves Coeus?" she asked.

Pluto frowned but said nothing. She was more than useless in matters of love, cloistered away at the Gate of Time-Space.... "Sailor Charon...when you are finished here, come to the Gate of Time and Space. We have matters to discuss." Charon nodded her head. "For now, I must inform Lady Serenity that there are injured people in this place." Pluto disappeared.

"He's just afraid of Coeus, I'll bet," Tokimo said, her own fuku dissolving around her. "Or afraid not to depend on him after all this time. Once he realizes you'll be there for him, he'll be there for you. That's always the way it works."

"I hope so," Mayumi sobbed. "I hope so."

"Come on," Tokimo said, taking Mayumi's hand and leading her through the rows. "Come meet my friends and have some cookies at my house. Cookies make everything better."

_~EPISODE EIGHTEEN: FIN~_

* * *

Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara  
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai  
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite  
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte  
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru

Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na  
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo  
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo  
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru  
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara

Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker  
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse  
Searching for where you are no matter when it is  
And holding painful memories in my chest  
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons

If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?  
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is  
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but  
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you  
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Mauros:** My brother, or my love...? In the end, it is you who decide it, Coeus.

**Eros**: Gifts are so meaningless. What thing could bring back the glimmer in your dark heart? I would sew until my fingers bled to bring back that warmth....

**Erik:** There is hope and life in you once more.... but I still feel an ever-present shadow.

**Fubuki: **As things worsen for Jirou, I see him withering before my eyes...

**Setsuna**: As we return to the land of Hades, a hidden veil is pulled aside...

**Tokimo:** Coeus...you're so close to your brother, but your heart is still filled with loneliness. Please, let me closer...

**Natsuko**: I won't let you beat me at something so small...!

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

_"The Blood of Chronos"_

**Mayumi:** Everyone needs a little forgiveness.


	19. Episode Nineteen: Blood of Chronos I

Coeus slapped his brother. "Why did you disobey me in this manner?" He asked. "I expressly told you not to fraternize with strangers."

Mauros looked off to the side, frowning sternly. "She's not a threat to me. She's a good person."

Coeus turned away. "You don't know what she's capable of."

"I do," Mauros said. "She makes me feel warm and happy inside... she eases the loneliness I've felt all these years."

"What you feel is an illusion, Mauros," Coeus replied. "Someday you'll realize... love is empty and fleeting. You're better off just putting it aside."

"Is it love...?" Mauros said aloud. He supposed if Coeus said so it must be true... but then, these days he was not sure if he trusted Coeus as much as he used to. "But Coeus... I love you. Should I put that aside?"

"That's... different," Coeus said. "You know your feelings for Mayumi are different than your feelings toward me."

"They are, but..." Mauros sat down in one of the cushioned chairs in their room and looked sadly toward the floor. "But I do care about both of you. Coeus... why do you hate Mayumi...? I know, if you got to know her, you would understand why I like her so much."

"I don't want to understand," Coeus said sullenly. "I..."

"Why do you hate women so much, brother?" Mauros asked.

Coeus sat down in a chair beside his brother. "Ten girls-ten girls, and every last one of them was spared," he said. "But not us. You were abandoned, barely old enough to read, on that desolate place. And when Diana came... our mother left us to die on our holy lands. Like animals. She didn't even care about her own flesh and blood."

"Just because our mother-"

"If it was just our mother, I might shrug it aside as one cold-hearted person," Coeus snapped. "But our whole family, and the maenads? They left us all there to die and escaped to Earth. Their hearts might as well have been made of ice."

"But Mayumi isn't like that!" He protested.

"For now," Coeus replied. "But once things get ugly, she'll push you aside. Now, I don't want you to leave this room-not for any reason." Coeus placed a small, mechanical merlin on his desk. "I'll know if you do. And Mayumi will be the first person I look for when you leave. Trust me, you don't want that."

Coeus turned toward a full length mirror that was set into the wall, it's border an intricately carved pattern of ice and snow. Coeus touched the surface of the mirror ever so lightly with his fingertip. As the surface rippled, he walked casually through the mirror and into the same park he always frequented on Earth.

* * *

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo

Episode Nineteen:

"The Blood of Chronos, Part I"

* * *

Sailor Charon looked around the fourth dimension somewhat disinterestedly as she stood in front of the Gate of Space-Time. "Huh," she said, "this place is pretty boring."

"From this land, you can go anywhere in the space-time continuum of Sol," Sailor Pluto said. "In some ways, it's the most interesting place you could possibly go."

"Looks like a lot of smoke and fog," Charon replied.

Sailor Pluto looked a little surprised. "You're a senshi of time, are you not?"

"Yup," Charon replied. "Chaos time-space."

"Chaos time-space...hm. Quite a jumble of words, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically, walking toward Charon. "For me, looking at the fourth dimension is like seeing a map. I can go anywhere from here. But even though your domain is the same as mine, you'd get just as lost as anyone else trying to travel the fourth dimension."

"I guess," Charon replied. "I don't really see the point of hanging around here. Why wouldn't you just zap straight to wherever you wanted to go?"

"Because... that is a difficult thing to do," Pluto said. "It's easier to go through the fourth dimension. It doesn't take as much concentration and exertion."

"Well, it might take concentration and exertion," Charon replied, looking around the cloudy expanse, "But it's not even possible to go this way for me."

"I suppose if that's the way your powers work, it must be impossible for you to go somewhere in time or space without knowing your destination," Sailor Pluto mused.

"Duh," Charon replied. "How can anyone go anywhere without knowing where it is they're going?"

Sailor Pluto smiled patiently. "What I mean is... I can just sort of... look around and decide where to go. Like looking at a map in the real world, or standing on a mountain... you can see places without actually going there. But from what I understand, you can't see where you're going before you get there. You just have to know where it is you're headed.

"For example, one thing it can allow me to do is look for someone in the fourth dimension if I know they are interfering in the time stream. I get the feeling that you would not be able to do so with any kind of efficiency."

"Yeah," Charon agreed. "I guess I'd just kind of have to guess where they went and check it out the old fashioned way. That would take for-ever. Anyway," she continued, sitting down on... grayness, "Did you just bring me here to ask me about my powers?"

"No," Sailor Pluto said, unsure of what to make of Charon's making herself cozy in Pluto's domain. "I wanted to ask you about Mauros. What do you know about him?"

"Maybe you shoulda asked Sailor Io," Charon suggested. "She seemed to know him a lot better than me."

"Ah, well... I meant more... his powers. Pluto's holy land. What things... what they were like back then."

"You don't remember?" Charon said, surprised. "I thought you killed me."

"No," Sailor Pluto replied. "What makes you think that?"

"I had a dream about it," Charon replied. "I was on Charon, and you killed me. It kinda sucked."

Pluto looked thoughtful. "Perhaps it was my mother," she suggested.

"You had a mother?" Charon said, surprised. "I thought you were like, timeless and stuff."

"Well, sort of... I exist everywhere at once, in a sense. But I was born at one particular time and place. My mother died when I was just a baby, and Queen Serenity-the first-raised me until I was old enough to guard the gate of time. "

"Huh. Well... I don't really remember much from before I died," Charon admitted. "I don't think I ever even met Mauros, or went to Hades. I almost want to think we weren't even allowed to go there, kind of like most people can't come here."

"Is it another entrance to the fourth dimension?"

"I dunno," she replied. "I've never been there. I guess we'd have to ask Mauros, huh?"

"A difficult proposition, considering he is working for the enemy."

"Only for now," Charon replied. "He fell in love with Sailor Io. That means he'll turn good to be with her."

"How can you be so sure?" Pluto asked skeptically. "What if he is more loyal to his brother and to Nemesis than Sailor Io?"

"Because it's love, duh. Wouldn't you pick being with your true love over everything else?"

"No," Pluto replied. "And I hope you wouldn't either. What if being with your true love involved hurting someone else-or joining Nemesis?"

"Well, I wouldn't fall in love with someone like that," Charon said. Then she remembered Coeus, and she wasn't sure what to think anymore. But she was making him go good, so she supposed that didn't really count... right?

"So you say," Pluto replied. "Do you know Io personally?"

"Nah, she's famous," Charon replied. "Mayumi Hatsuhara, haven't you heard of her? She's a big idol."

"No..." Pluto replied.

"Well, I guess if you spend all your time hanging around here, it's not too surprising. But you could probably arrange a meeting with her, 'cause you're like, important and stuff. Maybe Princess Jupiter would want to talk to her 'cause they're like, sister stars."

"Were the Moon Senshi very close to their orbiting planets during the Rainbow Millenium?" Pluto asked.

"I guess it sorta depended," Charon replied. "Like I said, my memories are pretty vague. But I remember that Charon was close to Pluto. And then Hydra and Nyx, not so much. But we were all way closer to the planet we orbited than the other planets. Kinda, I guess... like each planet was a country, and all of the moons were prefectures."

"Maybe I will talk to Princess Jupiter. Perhaps Io will identify with her more than myself."

"Maybe. I mean... Jupiter's a bit less of a cold fish than you, anyway."

Sailor Pluto just sighed.

* * *

"Look at all the cool stuff we got you!" Minako said happily, motioning to the spoils of their shopping trip. Eros neatly laid all of the parcels they had garnered on their trip side-by-side in the vestibule of Aphrodite. He'd have to move them to his study later. "I bet you wish you had these back in the day!" she added, motioning to the sewing machine they had bought.

"I still feel like that's cheating," he said. "Isn't it just like making one with magic?"

"No, it's totally different," Minako said. "It just... does the stitching for you. You still have to cut it out and put it together. If you magic one up, you only have to design, it?"

"I guess..." Eros replied dubiously.

"Anyway, this way, you can finish it in a week or two," Minako continued.

"I could probably finish it in less than a week, with this machine and all the time I'll have on my hands," Eros said. "I'm planning on working on it almost non-stop."

"Well... I was thinking... maybe I could hold a masquerade ball, and you could give that dress to Yamiko... and then she could wear it to the ball!"

"Oh, Mina..." Eros smiled and sighed. "I see what you're trying to do, and it's very sweet. But Yamiko will never go to a ball in the state she's in. She isn't even fond of social gatherings normally, let alone when she's in a bad mood."

"But it would be _perfect_. You wear your masks... she doesn't know it's you... you share a romantic moment..."

"It doesn't matter if she won't go," Eros said. "Anyway, it's not like there's a lot of westerners running around Tokyo. She'd know it was me immediately. Even if she didn't, it wouldn't be a very nice surprise when she found out who was behind the mask."

Minako pouted. "Well... even if she did know it was you... maybe the atmosphere would get to her. Anyway, I need to introduce you to the public at large anyhow. This could be a good excuse to do that, _and_ a good excuse to make up with Yamiko."

Eros sighed. "I'm telling you, My Lady, It won't work."

"I'm sure if we get you in some tight pants and a nice jacket, she'll begin to think about taking you back."

Eros laughed. "Maybe. It's worked before," he said. "But, to be honest, I don't think even walking around the masquerade in nothing but a mask would make Yamiko take me back. Still, attending the masquerade ball will do no harm, I suppose. And if it will make you happy, I will gladly do it."

"Excellent," Minako replied.

* * *

"What kind of clothes do we need for hiking?" Fuyuko asked as they walked into a sporting goods shop.

"Good boots are the most important thing," Kazeko replied. "But you want some sturdy jeans and a shirt you don't mind getting dirty."

"Haha, I think you'll have to help me pick out boots," Fuyuko said.

Kazeko led her to the section with hiking boots, where they tried on a few promising pairs until they found something. They were kind of expensive. "Maybe we should buy you something cheaper," Kazeko suggested. "I mean... it's not like you go hiking all the time or anything."

"Do you go hiking very often, Deirdre?"

Kazeko looked around herself nervously. "Please don't call me that in public."

"Why not?" Fuyuko asked wonderingly. "I like your real name."

Kazeko shuddered. "I can't talk about it."

Fuyuko squeezed Kazeko's hand reassuringly. "Maybe we can talk about it later."

* * *

Coeus watched as a school of koi swam about the pond in the middle of the park. How long had he been sitting here? He had sort of lost track of time. His book sat beside him, but every time he tried to pick it up and read the words swam together into meaningless gibberish.

He was losing the only thing that meant anything to him. To a woman. Always, always, it was a woman!

"Hiya!" Himeko called out cheerfully, bobbing her face in front of him. "Whatcha up to?"

"Go away," Coeus said dismissively. She was the _last_ person he felt like seeing right now.

"Nah, don't feel like it," Himeko said, sitting down in front of him and next to the pond. "Looking at the koi?"

Coeus said nothing, but just watched the orange and white carp dart restlessly about. He wasn't going to indulge her juvenility this time.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Go away," he insisted again, trying to pretend that the carp were arresting all of his attention. Unfortunately, koi were not the most intelligent and interesting fish on the best of days.

"You'll feel better if you talk about it," Himeko told him. "When I used to have a bad day at school, my mom would get me a cup of cocoa and some cookies. Then we'd talk about it until we came up with a solution or I felt like I could tackle it."

"I'll never understand how someone could fall in love with a woman," he said angrily. "Never."

"You like guys?" Himeko responded, sounding disappointed.

"What?" he said, looking at her disbelievingly. "No. I don't find men attractive."

"Oh, good," she said, relieved. "Well, if you like girls, you must see how someone could fall in love with one."

"I can see how someone might have feelings of attraction toward a woman," he said. "But that's different than love... than wanting to spend your life with someone."

"Hm," Himeko said, looking at the koi. "But... don't you ever wish you had someone who you trusted enough to share anything with? Even your darkest secrets?"

"Then they wouldn't be secrets anymore," Coeus replied.

"I guess," she replied. "But isn't it better that way? Isn't having to hide something from everyone lonely?"

"I'm not lonely, because I have-" Coeus stopped and looked at the ground. Did he? He could tell that he was losing Mauros. He knew that he was hurting people-oh, he wasn't sure yet, but Coeus knew it was only a matter of time...

"Me?" Himeko said hopefully.

"What?" Coeus said. "No, I meant-"

"Let's go to the museum today," Himeko interjected. "I want you to tell me about all the smart people things you like."

"No," Coeus replied. "I'm... busy."

"Sulking?"

"No-"

"Then let's go," she said, grabbing his arm and yanking him upward.

"Can't you see I don't want to?" he snapped, pushing her away. She looked at him, lost and a little hurt, and a pang of something entered him that he knew he wanted to push away. She didn't have feelings. She just saw something in him that she wanted, and she was going to take it and leave him hollow.

"But..." she looked at him. Her eyes were dark and black and pleading. What did she want? Why did she bother him so? "But you look so sad. Maybe if we did something fun, you'd feel a little better," she said.

Coeus stared at her for a long time. She blushed and looked away. "Why do you do this?" he asked at last. "I have treated you like a pesk, an annoyance. I've insulted your intelligence and your sex. It would untenable to allow anyone who caught your eye to treat you this way, even if they were the most attractive man alive. And I am hardly that."

"Well, you are pretty cute, I guess," she said, reaching out and stroking his shoulder length blue hair appreciatively. "But more importantly, you're smart and clever. And sometimes, when you think no one can see, there's a look in your eyes-"

"D-don't touch me," he said, quickly grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand away. "Don't..."

"Don't...?"

"Don't do this," He said, turning away. "I'm not..."

"Let's go to the museum," She said, yanking on his wrist. "I want you to teach me stuff."

He yanked it away. "Why are you acting like this? Why are you so persistent?"

She paused for a long time. "You're lonely. And... you're kind."

"I am anything but kind." ma

"When we were at the aquarium, the way you talked, I started to see..." she glanced away. "It's not that you're a bad person. You just expect other people to be bad to you first. So you figure you'll beat them to it."

"That's..." He stared at her. "...true," he admitted.

"I think... I think if I prove to you that I won't be bad to you, then... just maybe, you'll stop being mean and calling me names," She said. "If you can't, well... that'll suck. I hope you do. But even if I can't, at least I tried. And it's not like your words can hurt me. I know you're just being a jerkface 'cause that's all you know how to be. But I hope you do change... because I think you're cool. I'd hate to stop being your friend."

Coeus didn't know what to say. He knew these words were getting to him. He hated that. He hated it, but... No! She was just like all the others. Then why, why, why... he had to understand. "Fine," he said at last. "The museum."

"Thanks!" he said, hugging him happily.

"G-get off me!" he said, shoving her away. An ill-considered response-she was tipping off balance and into-

"Ah!" he grabbed her shoulders as she threatened to fall backwards into the pond. For a moment, they just stared at each other stupidly. "You were falling," Coeus said, taking his hands off her as though she would contaminate him.

"Yeah," Himeko said. "You caught me. Thanks."

"Reflex," he offered indifferently. Himeko smiled and he hated it. He hated it because he felt something. He shouldn't be doing this! He had to, had to...

"Come on, let's go," she said, gently taking his wrist and leading him along.

And he let her. Why did he let her?

* * *

"How long have we been walking?" Fuyuko asked, gasping for air as she took a drink from her water bottle.

"Almost two hours," Kazeko replied. "Two and a half, if you count the walk up the shrine steps."

Fuyuko shook her head. "I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life."

"It's good for you," Kazeko replied. "...clears your head. But we can sit down for awhile now." Kazeko glanced over at a small stone shrine nearby and placed a small rock at its base. Then she sat down on a log nearby, next to an exhausted Fuyuko.

"So...why don't you want me to call you Deidre?"

Kazeko jumped and looked around her nervously. Fuyuko raised an eyebrow. "We're alone here," she reassured her friend. "The only ones who can hear us talking are the trees."

Kazeko smiled weakly. "Right... the trees.."

_"Mom and dad worry a lot, but no one can find us here. We're safely nestled amongst the trees..."_

Kazeko began to cry. "It's not safe anywhere," she said. "Not even in the middle of the forest."

Fuyuko hugged her friend tightly. "It's safe, I promise," she said. "There's no one here but me."

Kazeko continued to cry for quite some time. Eventually, she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled at last. "It's just... there's some people, they... they killed my family back in Ireland, everyone... in front of my very eyes... the grove, everything, was burned down..." Kazeko shook her head. "I ran here. I didn't want them to find me... so I changed my name."

"Who are these people? Can we find them?" Fuyuko asked.

"I don't know..." Kazeko replied, breaking off from Fuyuko's hug. "They're very secretive. They call themselves the Catholic Order of Purification, they're a extremist fringe of Christians." Kazeko paused. "Back when the Queen first ascended the throne... a lot of religious groups thought it was a sign of God on earth. But what gods... and what the sign meant... everyone had an opinion. Everyone thought they knew the truth. Including us-the druids." Kazeko put her arms around her knees and looked at the mossy ground that reminded her of home. "In Ireland at that time, people had become less and less serious about religion, but what people were still deeply faithful were Catholic.

"But the Queen's ascension changed everything. A lot of people found the Sailor Senshi and their powers a lot like Ireland's ancient Druidic gods. What was formerly a small revival of a dead creed exploded into the mainstream, and the Catholics, who had always thought of Drudism as a shady religion, didn't like it. Even some Neo-Catholics, who enshrined Queen Serenity as another coming of God, thought Druids worshipped demons. The COP were a splinter group off of the Catholics that thought we were demon-worshippers. They..." Kazeko shivered. "They murdered our leaders and bombed our temples... by the time the war with Nemesis was over, Druidism and Roman Catholicism were both dying religions breathing their last breaths in Ireland. My parents were leaders in hiding along with the rest of a community of Druids. The COP found out about us and..." Kazeko shrugged and bit her lip as tears poured freely from her eyes.

Fuyuko put her arm around her friend, unsure of what to say. Her own problems seemed small compared to Kazeko's, at least since she had come to Crystal Tokyo and begun to serve the Princess. "I wish there was something I could do," Fuyuko said. "But I don't think these guys are gonna get you here. It doesn't seem like they'd come all the way out to Japan. Anyway, you're a Sailor Senshi. It's not like they'd really stand a chance against you."

"Even hearing that name brings back all the worst memories," she replied. "The smoke, and the death..."

Fuyuko frowned. "Don't think of it that way," she said. "Your name is a gift your mom and dad gave you. It's a symbol of their love, don't you think?"

"I guess," Kazeko replied.

"Then shouldn't it be something that brings back sad memories. It should be something that makes you think of everything your parents gave you... of the nice things that happened when you were with them."

"When I try to think about that..." Kazeko shook her head. She tried to remember the stories and songs, the times in front of the fireplace eating chestnuts, but they always dissolved into memories of angry flames and violent screaming. "There's too much pain."

"Well...maybe someday," Fuyuko replied, leaning her head against her friend's shoulder. "In the meantime, I'll call you Kazeko."

"Thanks," Kazeko replied.

* * *

Fubuki yawned as she tied her bathrobe. Someone was at the gate. "Who is it?" she asked, walking up to the speaker next to the front door. It was connected to an intercom that sat beside the doorbell.

"It's, uh... it's Jirou," he said awkwardly. "Is it okay if I come in with Chikao?"

"Yeah, sure," Fubuki said. "I'm still in my pajamas, though."

"That's fine," Jirou said. Fubuki opened the metal gate for him and let him in the front door.

"What's up?" she asked as Jirou shuffled Chikao into the vestibule. "Something at home?"

"It's our parents..." Jirou said nervously. "Me and Meimi can handle them, but... I don't think it's a good idea for Chikao to stay there."

"Do you... want him to stay here?"

Jirou looked tense. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No... I just got up."

"Why don't we talk while we eat," he said. "If that's all right."

"Nah, it's not a big deal or anything," she said. "I'll just tell Michito to make extra." Fubuki wandered into the kitchen, where Michito was busy preparing an omelet. "Michito!" Fubuki shouted. Michito turned toward her and smiled. "Can I get two extra?"

"Sure," she said, glancing at Chikao. Chikao looked uncomfortable but said nothing.

"Com'on, guys," Fubuki said, going into the dining room. They sat down at the tall, walnut table. "So, what happened?"

Jirou sighed. "They're always taking things out on him," Jirou said, glancing at his brother. "Of course, she doesn't give a shit how badly me and Meimi fail, but when he comes home with bad grades, she's all over him. Nevermind that it's their goddamn fault things are going so bad, with all the fighting and shit."

Fubuki sighed. "So, have him stay here. Problem solved."

"But your mom..."

"She's hardly ever here, and when she is she sticks to the common rooms. He could stay in one of the rooms on the fourth floor or higher and she'd never notice. Fuck, you should all come live here."

"Maybe..." Jirou murmured. "I'm not sure if my parents would do anything or not. I'm not even sure if they'll do something about Chikao or not... but... I'm sick of this fucked up bullshit. He needs somewhere to go."

"Yeah," Fubuki agreed. Michito brought out the mushroom and bacon-filled omelets and set them on the table in front of Chikao and Jirou. "Eat with us, Michito," Fubuki said.

"As you wish," Michito said, smiling and sitting down as she served the food onto their plates. "Will Chikao be staying with us for awhile?"

"Will you help us out, Michito? Keep my mother from getting suspicious?"

"I'll try," Michito replied. "I can't go too far, or I could lose my job... and I suspect that is not something you'd like."

Fubuki frowned. "No..."

"But I'll cover you when and if I can. I understand that Jirou also has a difficult home life."

"Damn straight," Jirou bitterly replied.

"Where do you go to school, Chikao?" Michito asked.

"It's Buki's old middle school," Jirou replied.

"Hm," Michito said thoughtfully. "I think that should be manageable. Chikao... let me know if you need any help with your schoolwork."

Chikao just stared at her and nodded, his face cowed and withdrawn.

* * *

"Is this room okay?" Fubuki asked, opening the door to one of the rooms on the top floor. She picked somewhere on the other end of the house and up two floors, since she figured her mother was less likely to notice that way.

Chikao's jaw dropped. "it's half the size of my house," he said wonderingly.

"Yeah, my house is kind of ridiculous," Fubuki said. "This is some kind of fancy arse guest room, so it has a bathroom on it and everything."

Chikao opened one of the doors to find it was a huge walk-in closet. He moved to the other one, which was the promised bathroom. "The bathroom is as big as my kitchen," he remarked. "No... bigger. And the bathtub is as big as my bathroom."

"Well, enjoy it I guess," Fubuki said. "Honestly, you don't really know what to do with all the space. It just sort of sits there."

"Hm," Chikao mumbled, looking around. "Jirou says you don't get along with your mom, either."

"No," Fubuki said. "But I don't really like to talk about it. Things used to be different, but then my dad died and that was that."

"Do you think I'll get in trouble for staying here?"

"Trust me, my mom will never notice," Fubuki replied. "And if she does, you won't be any worse off than you were before."

"I guess," Chikao said, lying on the king-sized bed. "Do you like school, Fubuki?"

Fubuki scoffed. "No."

"I like it way better than being at home," Chikao said.

"Parents basically suck," Fubuki replied. "Well, at least you can get away from them here."

"It'll be a nice change," he agreed.

* * *

There was a knock on Fubuki's door. She scowled as she put down her scotch on her bedside table. "Who is it?"

"It's your mother."

Fubuki sighed and sat up. "What do you want?"

"The Father-Sir Gakusha-wants you to come to my next... my next session, if you don't mind."

Fubuki sighed and sat back again. "Why?"

There was a long pause. "He wants to talk about your father," she said at last.

Fubuki sat back up and took a sip of her scotch. "He's dead," she replied bitterly. "What is there to say?"

"I'm not the one who wants to talk about it," she snapped. She sighed. "Perhaps... perhaps he thinks we have not come to terms with what happened."

"Gee, you think? How long did it take you to figure that out?" Fubuki looked out the window. "Why should I go?"

There was silence on the other side of the door. "I won't make you go to college," she said at last. "I know you'd rather not... Michito has been trying to talk me out of it for a long time."

"It's not like you could make me go to college anyway," Fubuki replied.

"No," her mother replied, "But I could kick you out if I wanted to."

Fubuki almost felt like saying 'could you?' but she decided that her mother was being too amiable to spoil things with a threat. "I suppose," she said. " I guess I can waste an hour of my time not to go to college."

"Ah, Fubuki..." she continued a little awkwardly.

"Yeah?"

Her mother hesitated. "I was talking to the Father, and... he said... Fubuki... I will admit I have often looked for reasons to condemn you. I think... we have often encouraged the worst in each other."

"Well, there's a lot of bad things to encourage," Fubuki replied.

"In you, or in me?"

"I'll let you mull that over for awhile," Fubuki cryptically replied.

* * *

Akiko sighed. "I need to feed these cats," she declared, looking at the mass of animals purring and rubbing against her legs with the hope that food would be forthcoming.

"You need to go to track meet," Natsuko said. "The nationals are coming right up."

"I have to go to the pet store this morning," Akiko said. "They haven't eaten since I brought them home last night. Just go without me."

"I just do not get what would ever possess you to want so many goddamn cats," Natsuko said wonderingly.

"And I don't get why you'd ever want to do track team," Akiko retorted. "All you do is run around in a circle."

"If you don't get why I'd want to do it, why the hell are you doing it?" Natsuko asked.

"I dunno," Akiko replied. "I guess I figured there must be some reason it was fun I wasn't seeing."

"it's just..." Natsuko paused. "The challenge of it, I guess. And the feeling of freedom."

"Haha, maybe it would make more sense to get a bike," Akiko said caustically.

"Oh man, a motorcycle would be _awesome_," Natsuko said. "Have you ever seen Haruka driving around on hers? She looks so badass."

"Don't you have to be like, eighteen to drive a motocycle?"

Natsuko pouted. "Yeah, it sucks. You can get one at 16 if you take like, this extra hard exam. But I don't really have the time to mess around with that."

"You could learn how to drive a bike instead of taking track," Akiko suggested, picking up a brown tabby cat and snuggling her face against its fur.

"If Haruka would teach me. She's kind of busy."

"You're like family... I'm sure she could make time."

* * *

"So, what are we going to look at?" Tokimo asked. Coeus had begrudgingly taken her to the National Science Museum. There was a huge steam powered train in front of the museum, which Tokimo looked at admiringly. "Hey look, a train."

"Is that what that is?" Coeus said, interestedly.

"Oh, yeah," Tokimo said. "They still have them, but they look different. I think the old ones look kinda cool, though. You can see all the wheels and stuff."

"Indeed," Coeus said offhandedly, reading about the train on the informational plaque. She was surprised he didn't know about trains, since he was so smart and stuff. Maybe it was because he was from, like, a billion years ago. "I know about them, but it looked so different I didn't recognize it."

"Haven't you been here before?" Tokimo said, surprised. "I thought museums were like, your thing."

"They were," Coeus said. "I don't get out often anymore. To the aquarium once in awhile, and that's pretty much it."

"Well, you should take me to all the museums, and we can learn everything," Tokimo said happily.

"You'd get bored and fall asleep," Coeus replied dryly.

"Nah, it's interesting when you talk about it," she replied. "So, what are we going to look at?"

"We could see the prehistoric skeletons," Coeus suggested. "Dinosaurs and ancient fish, from when the oceans covered the Earth."

"Oooh, dinos! I love dinos," Tokimo said enthusiastically.

Coeus smiled. "Yes, dinos," he said.

"I used to draw them all over my sketchbook when I was a little kid. I liked the ones with the cool armor and the kick butt tails."

"Ah, Ankylosauria," Coeus replied. "Haha, it suits you. They even had armor on their eyelids, you know."

"Whoa, really? That's awesome," Tokimo said.

Coeus led her into the museum and into a section with huge, reconstructed fish fossils in a wide, empty room. It was a weekday afternoon, and the museum was devoid of people. "Wow," Tokimo said, impressed. "You could feed a lot of people with those fish."

"They're actually Menosaurs," Coeus told her. "Reptiles. Closely related to snakes-they ambushed their prey and swallowed it whole."

Tokimo looked at him a little skeptically. "Where did they hide?"

"Ah, well..." Coeus paused. "I'm not really sure. I guess there was more ocean back then, since the earth's landmass was smushed into one continent."

"Really?" Tokimo said, putting her arm around him. "What are those?" she said, pointing to smaller fossils.

"Sarcopterygii," he replied. "These fish were the direct descendants of amphibians. See, you can see their fins have a leg-like skeletal structure."

"Oh, you're right," she agreed, "They look like little flat legs. I bet when they walked out of the sea all the bugs were pretty freaked out." Coeus laughed.

Tokimo grinned. "You've got a really cute smile."

Coeus looked a little taken aback and glanced away. "Don't be ridicu-"

Tokimo stood on her tiptoes, grabbed his cheek and kissed him. At first, she really thought he was going to pull away, and he almost did. But he didn't. He returned the kiss with surprising earnestness. Tokimo pulled away and smiled. "I really like you-" Tokimo blushed as she realized she had been very, very close to calling him Coeus. "-Livy."

"Himeko, I..." He backed away. His face was bright red. "...I have to go."

* * *

"Hello, Mauros," Rhea said, waltzing into the twins' room as though she belonged in it more than he did. she glanced idly at the merlin and blew a kiss in it's direction. The mechanical bird rusted away and fell into pieces.

"Ah, you can't do that, brother will-"

"Don't worry about your brother," Rhea said, twirling her dark purple hair between her bone-pale fingers. "He's _plenty_ occupied. You should take this time to go see your girlfriend."

"Coeus said he'd hurt Mayumi if I saw her," Mauros said, upset. "I'm worried he will already after you broke his spying bird."

"I told you, he's pretty well occupied," she assured him, sitting beside him on the bed. She rather undaintily adjusted her black corset as Mauros awkwardly looked on. "But, since you don't look like you're going to believe me, I'll prove it to you."

Rhea stood up and walked over to the mirror, her long mermaid skirt trailing behind her. She blew gently on the surface of the mirror and Coeus appeared in it's reflection. He was gazing at a girl.

"You've got a really cute smile," she said, looking toward him.

His brother seemed unusually flustered and awkward. "Don't be ridicu-"

Mauros' eyes widened their lips locked and they shared what looked like a very intimate moment. Coeus looked embarrassed and flushed as he pulled away.

"Do you know what a kiss is, Mauros?" Rhea asked as the image vanished. She walked toward him and leaned down to look in his eyes as he sat on the bed.

"I think I have some idea," Mauros said, his face dark and menacing.

Rhea stood back up and looked thoughtfully away from him. "Didn't Coeus say something about how he didn't want you to get involved with girls because they were bad people?" She glanced back toward Mauros, whose expression was as cold and grave as stone. "That seems a little hypocritical of him."

Mauros stood up, his scythe appearing in his hands. "I will return his love in kind," he said, disappearing before Rhea's eyes.

She smiled a cold smile. "Oh my," she said mischievously, "I hope I haven't caused a falling out between the twins."

* * *

Coeus covered his mouth as he walked away from Himeko, his shoes clicking on tile as he walked down the hall that led away from the sea exhibit. What was he _doing_? He should have been disgusted at Himeko's kiss. it's not like she was even all that attractive, certainly not the kind of girl he found attractive. But when they had kissed, he was overcome with the most intense sensation. Did he love her? No, impossible...

"Brother!" It was an anguished cry. Coeus looked up to see Mauros, his scythe in his hand, a look of intense hurt on his face.

"Mauros, what-"

"You lied to me, brother!" he said, his voice a scream and a sob all at once. "You told me to stay away from women because they were bad, and look at what you've been doing!"

Coeus blanched. "You don't understand, I-"

"And you told me that all this time, when I was hurting innocent people and making them suffer, it was just a game! That they felt no pain, that it was no big deal!"

"That was only because-"

"I've had enough of your lies, Coeus! I've had enough of you!" Mauros held his war scythe aloft and bore through Coeus' stomach. Coeus looked down at the wound in speechless horror and toward the anguished face of his brother as a curtain of red poured from his abdomen. "M-my blood..." he murmured before falling to the ground.

"Coeus?" Tokimo shouted. She had heard some kind of commotion toward the hallway that led from the huge display area, and she suddenly had a horrible feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. She ran to Coeus' side, horrified, as his blood pooled around him and he looked lifelessly toward the ceiling. "Coeus!" She screamed, tears forming in her eyes. She looked up at Mauros. "Your own brother...! Charon prism power, make up!" Tokimo transformed into Sailor Charon as space blurred around her.

"You might be the priest of Pluto, but you gotta whole lot to answer for! Chaos Compass!" Sailor Charon disappeared. Mauros turned around in time to parry her blow as she appeared again to the left of him. He looked confused and torn.

"B-brother... I-is he... okay...?"

"Of course he's not okay!" Charon shouted, swinging her Naginata at Mauros. "He's _dead!_"

Mauros looked toward his brother in alarm and barely parried another blow from Charon. "Coeus!" He cried, making to move toward his brother. "I have to help-"

Charon swung her Naginata at his torso. Mauros shuffled backward to dodge her polearm and tripped, falling into the expanding pool of blood. His trenchcoat was soaking up the blood of his twin. "Don't touch him!" Charon screamed, holding her naginata aloft, ready to stab him in the heart.

Mauros disappeared just before the blade hit his heart, soaked in the blood of his brother, his body numb and cold as ice.

* * *

Sailor Charon hurriedly opened her communicator. She typed 'luna' into the panel as fast as she could, though her state of panic guaranteed that she wrote it incorrectly at least three times.

A moment passed before Usako appeared in her communicator's screen. "Hello?" she asked.

"You gotta come quick," Charon said urgently, tears in her eyes. "Coeus is dead. You gotta come and wave your shiny crystal around!"

"O-okay," Usako said, a little confused. "I'll come."

Tokimo waited anxiously, watching Coeus' pale, lifeless face. Eventually, Sailor Luna appeared, Helios and the Quartet beside her. She ran over to Coeus and as the pink moon crystal floated gently her hands. A soft, warm glow spread from the crystal and over Coeus' body, and his wound slowly closed and healed.

"I should take him to Princess Mercury," Helios said. Sailor Luna nodded as Helios began to pray.

"I'm going with you!" Tokimo declared.

Helios frowned, "Ah, but-"

"Just take her," Sailor Luna said wearily. "She'll just teleport herself to the palace if you don't."

Helios completed his prayer and they vanished, Coeus' comatose body in their midst.

* * *

Coeus groaned as he opened his eyes. glancing around, he saw that he was a spacious bedroom, covered in intricate blue and white designs. There were four people flanking him; on one side, Sailor Charon stood beside the Princess of Mercury. On the other, Lady Serenity and the priest of Earth watched over him. Their faces were stern and full of concern.

Panicked, Coeus felt the teardrop on his forehead. It was still turned upside down-though that should have been obvious, since he still kept his human form and no priest could take the form of a man when his holy land was sick, no matter if another planet's crystal sustained them or no. He sat up and looked around. There was a huge mirror on the wall with a fountain in front of it, and a small bookcase stood beside the bed.

"Coeus!" Sailor Charon shouted happily, hugging him. "I'm glad you're not all bleedy anymore."

"Get off me," Coeus said, pushing her away. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Charon frowned. "B-but... we kissed, and I thought..."

Coeus paused, then frowned as he made a horrifying realization. "_Himeko_? But-"

"I-I can explain!" Charon said hastily, de-transforming into Tokimo, who even Coeus knew was Sailor Charon. "I wanted to convince you to join the good guys by, y'know... making friends. But I knew I couldn't do that unless I was someone you didn't recognize... so I had to disguise myself, and-"

Coeus glared at her accusingly. "Try to seduce me? Steal a kiss?"

"I kissed you because I wanted to!"

The other three looked uncomfortable. "Ah... perhaps we should wait outside for the time being," Mercury suggested. "Let us know when you're done talking." Mercury looked at them and moved the two teens toward the door.

"I kissed you because I love you," Tokimo said sincerely.

"If you love me so much, why did you lie to me?" Coeus asked. "Even if I could put aside every bad thing that's happened to me because I've been used or tricked by a woman, you've just proved all of my worst prejudices all over again." He tried to convince himself that he wasn't disappointed or hurt by this revelation, that it was exactly what he suspected all along, but he remembered the way his heart ached when she kissed him and a dull pain rose in his chest.

"If I had come to you as Tokimo-as Sailor Charon-would you have listened to anything I had to say? Could we have spent time together like we did?"

Coeus looked away from her, toward the fountain. "Maybe it would have been better if we hadn't."

Tokimo was quiet a long time. "Maybe?" she said. "You don't sound too sure. And when I first talked to you... you woulda said absolutely."

"Can't you just leave me alone?" he asked, tired. "My own flesh and blood-" Coeus turned his face away from Tokimo, struggling to hold back tears. He would not let her see such a display of weakness.

Tokimo paused. "He regrets it," she said at last, getting up and moving toward the door. Coeus did not know whether to believe her or not as she left the room.

Princess Mercury entered the room as her long, blue dress trailed behind her. She took a seat next to the bed where Coeus sat. For a long time, they just studied each other's quintessentially Mercurian features in silence. He was almost certain that they were related; he was probably her half-uncle or even half-sibling, knowing his mother's reputation.

"What do you want from me?" Coeus said at last, tired.

"I had hoped that you might want to leave Nemesis," Princess Mercury replied, "and join me as a colleague once again."

"A colleague?" Coeus replied. "How interestingly you put it. As if we were team-mates, partners, allies. If I join you, _My_ _Lady_, I am not your colleague. I am your bondsman."

"Perhaps in name," Mercury admitted. "But I would not treat you that way. I would see you as an equal."

"Why should I trust you to be as good as your word on that?" Coeus asked caustically. "I have no proof that you are a benevolent master."

Mercury smiled. "Ah, that is true," she replied. "But I have trouble believing your current mistress treats you so very well."

Coeus paused, annoyed. "She-she does not treat me so very badly," Coeus replied, which he supposed was true. But there was always a feeling that they stood only a breath away from being cut off from her powers, which sustained their lives and human forms. There was always the heavy knowledge that it was their very misery that made them so valuable to her. "Anyway, I have my brother to take care of."

"And your brother...he can't be convinced to join as well...?"

Coeus smiled sadly. "Normally he listens to everything I say. But now I'm quite sure he won't listen to anything I say. Of course, under the circumstances, he's hardly likely to want to talk to me anyway, even if I return to Nemesis."

"I'm sure... I'm sure you can patch things up with your brother, Er, um..."

"Mauros," Coeus told her.

"Well... I think it would be best if you joined us," Princess Mercury replied. "But ultimately, it's your decision."

Coeus looked over the Princess of Mercury, a little disgusted.

"What?" she said.

"Where is your pride?" Coeus asked. "You have me under your thumb. There's no where I can go, not without your being able to stop me. You're in a position where you don't have to make it 'my decision.' It's your decision. I'm in the palm of your hand."

Princess Mercury looked shocked for a moment and then laughed. "You're rather funny," she said at last.

Coeus just frowned, perturbed. "What's so funny?"

"Well, one would think that you would be grateful for my giving you a choice, rather than questioning my judgement."

Coeus sat up and looked at his lady, more irked than ever. He had hated his mother for being a tyrant, for throwing her power around heedlessly. But this was even worse. "You're the Lady of Mercury," he said. "You have power. Use it."

Princess Mercury smiled a little weakly. "I suppose. Though just because one has power does not mean you should always wield it," she replied. "Besides, among all of the planets, I imagine that I am generally thought the weakest."

"What?" Coeus retorted. "The weakest? Have you no pride as a Mercurian? Our star is the crown jewel of Sol, the planet of wisdom and knowledge."

"Well, the other planets have their provinces as-"

"Men may want love, to bring death or justice to their enemies, the strength of the sky and seas-but wisdom, my lady-that gives a man power over all of those things and more."

Mercury grinned. "My, what inspiring words. And you have even referred to me as your lady."

Coeus glanced away awkwardly. "It just disgusts me to see our Queen behaving in such a subservient manner."

"I thought that you served Nemesis now...? What interest have you in the affairs of the Water Star?"

Coeus was quiet for a long time. Could he bring himself to serve a woman once more? But even he could not deny that Mercury was right-he already did. Joining Mercury meant abandoning Mauros on Nemesis... but if he could convince his brother to join him... maybe it was for the best. He had deserved Mauros' ire. He had told his brother to abjure the company of anyone, especially women, and he had done anything but follow his own advice. And even Coeus knew that Mauros did not belong on Nemesis. His brother was everything that was gentle and kind... when he thought of him, all alone in that dark place...

"If... if I join you..."

"Yes?"

"Will you help me to convince my brother to join as well? When I think of him trapped on Nemesis, filled with confusion and sorrow... all because of my foolishness..."

Princess Mercury smiled warmly. "I will do everything in my power to help you," she replied.

Coeus got out of bed and stood in the center of the large bedroom. "Nemesis!" he called to no one in particular. "I revoke my power and privileges!"

Coeus' body melted into a strange, chimerical form. His head was that of a ram; the ram's head gave way to the body of a lion from which the wings of a bird and a serpent's tail sprung forth. "Ah," Princess Mercury said, intrigued. "You take the form of a criosphinx."

Coeus said nothing, but summoned Princess Mercury to the now-desolate holy land of Metis. Where there had once been fountains and an impressive palace with a marble facade, now there was only crumbling ruins and dried up rivers and lakes. The knight of Hermes and the senshi of Apollo appeared before him.

"Hello, Princess Mercury," Hermes said, smiling and bowing politely. "It's an honor."

"Ah, thank you," she said. "You are...?"

"Prince Enodios of Hermes," he replied, "Though I am called Jair Feigenbaum in this life."

"Princess Lyceios, of Apollo," The female senshi said, introducing herself.

"Let's not waste any time," Coeus said. "This form is hardly comfortable for me." He stretched his wings and scrutinized his Masters. "The fates of three are the fate of one. As we live, so do we die. As we thrive, so do we wither. Do you accept?"

"I accept," they said.

Light enveloped Coeus and he resumed the form of a blue-haired teenager. From there, the light spread across Metis and the castle reformed into an elegant marble castle; fountains sprung up from the paved ground and re-formed where it had crumbled. Rivers and waterfalls in the distance were surrounded by vegetation once more, and Mercury thought she could see bogs spontaneously growing off in the distance.

There was a feeling of excitement that ran through her, the kind of excitement that ran through her when an idea struck or she discovered something amazing for the first time. She held out her hands and between them appeared a crystal, silver-colored and brilliantly reflective, like a mirror. Like mercury.

Prince Enodios, now clad in silver armor, smiled sheepishly. "Ah, do you think you could return me...?"

Coeus mumbled a few words under his breath and the Mercurian moon senshi were gone.

Princess Mercury stared down at her crystal, amazed. "This must be..."

"Your crystal, of course. Now you won't have to be sycophantic to the White Queen any longer."

Mercury smiled. "Serenity is sweet and kind. I have never minded serving her." She held the lustrous gem to her heart and it vanished inside of her, leaving just a trace of the racing excitement in its wake.

"She could be sweetest woman in Sol for all I care," Coeus replied irately, "but it's still backwards. This is the planet of wisdom. You should be leading others with your wisdom, not the other way around." Coeus glanced around Metis. "Anyway," he said, "I need to go get my glasses."

"Glasses?" Mercury said, confused. "Why would you need glasses in this day and age?"

Coeus walked through the huge marble entryway; Mercury followed behind him interestedly. There was a long stream carved into the marble floor; fish swam freely to and fro inside it, while what looked like a computer screen was inlaid into the stone walls beside them. "What are these screens? Could they be...?"

"Mercury's computer systems are ahead of Earth's even now," Coeus said, turning toward one of the screens. "Though that's with a lot of magical help. Honestly, I think we could do a lot better with the advances in computer science and engineering that we've missed out on. Come on," he said, feigning indifference to the topic at hand, "l need to get to the main interface to get my glasses. I can show you what it can do while we're there."

"Oh, okay," Mercury said, trying to hide her amusement. Coeus ignored her as he navigated the halls until he came to a huge, central room with a cascading fountain. There was a screen against one wall, at least a yard in length. Coeus walked up to it mumbled a long string of words under his breath; the computer screen lit up.

"Hello, Coeus," A soft-spoken female voice called out. It clearly came from the room, though Mercury was not sure from whence it issued.

"Hello Aidia," Coeus replied warmly. "Did you miss me?"

"I was not aware you had left," the voice responded.

"Ah! I need to update the time," he said. "It's been shut off so long, and it's not connected to any kind of network anymore... Aidia, can you pull up a calculator for me?"

A calculator appeared on the viewscreen. "So it is the computer talking," Mercury said aloud. "How impressive... just how advanced is it?"

Coeus looked thoughtful as he plugged figures into the calculator. "I'm not sure," he responded. "She seems to have a personality, but I might be anthropomorphizing her."

"I have been programmed to be ever cheerful and of assistance to my Lord," the computer replied.

"She sounds very fond of you," Mercury said teasingly.

Coeus rolled his eyes. "She's a just computer," he said dismissively.

"My Lord," the computer said, sounding disappointed, "what of our many discussions? All those times you confided to me about your-"

"Ahahahahaha," Coeus interjected nervously, "I... don't know what I was thinking."

Mercury smiled. "My name is Princess Mercury, or Ami Mizuno," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Aidia."

"You as well, My Lady," she said. "From the new date you have entered, Coeus, it appears several thousand years have passed since we last spoke! Is there a reason for my being powered down and alone for so long...?" Ami could have sworn there was a note of sorrow in her voice.

"I was frozen for that time," Coeus responded. "And Metis was in shambles."

"I see," she replied. "I take it that Queen Tyche is no longer ruling. Who is the current Queen?"

"Actually," Coeus replied, "Mercury is. I don't know why she is using the appellation 'Princess.'"

"And she does not have her crown," the computer added. "I do hope you get on with her better than Tyche, dear Coeus."

Coeus grunted. "Why don't you get her the crown of Mercury," he said, trying to draw attention away from himself. "And my glasses. Oh, but-wait on the glasses, just a minute just a minute-" he pulled up one of the chairs that were lying around in the room. He began feverishly typing on the strange-looking keyboard that sat in front of the screen.

"What are you doing?" Ami asked, looking over his shoulder. He seemed to be writing some sort of computer program, mumbling softly under his breath almost constantly as he did so. While he was busy mumbling to himself, a brilliant sphere of light appeared in front of Ami. The light faded and a crown hovered in front of her; a delicate tiara fashioned of thin silver wire and covered with deep blue gems. The gemstones were beaded onto twists of tall, vertical wire. It looked almost as though black ice shards had been set against silver icicles. "Oh... this is lovely..." she said, taking it gingerly in her hands. "Almost too lovely to wear."

"Throw it out, for all I care," Coeus replied. "It's yours to do with as you please."

"You have to admit that would be an awful waste," she said. She looked around for somewhere good to put the crown, but there weren't any tables nearby, and she was afraid that she might sit on it if she left it on a chair-which would be painful, as well as a shame. She put the crown on her head and sat beside Coeus. "Are you writing a program?"

"Ah-yes," Coeus replied. "A new program for my glasses." Coeus looked over his code and then typed a few more commands into the computer. A similar sphere of light appeared before him and a pair of circular, gold-framed glasses appeared before him. "Here we are." Coeus grabbed the glasses and put them on, a self-satisfied look on his face. "Let's try this out." Coeus scrutinized her with his glasses for a moment and frowned. "Hm."

"Do they not operate to your satisfaction?" Mercury asked.

"No, they work amazingly well, given that I just wrote a program in five minutes," he said with chuckle. "I can probably thank Aidia for that."

"You're welcome," the computer interjected.

"What does your new program do?"

"Measures stress levels," Coeus replied. "You see, the way I collected energy and chose targets was based on how unhappy they were. Morpheus tends to target individuals more than I did, and he will almost certainly be the next priest assigned to Tokyo."

"How do you know?"

"Whoever impresses Nemesis the most gets Tokyo," Coeus replied. "She seemed impressed with Morpheus. QED."

"So, what displeases you about your glasses, if they work?" Mercury inquired.

"Nothing about the glasses displeases me in the slightest," Coeus replied. "Has anyone ever noticed that you are not a particularly happy person?"

Mercury looked a little awkward. "Er...what do you mean...?"

Coeus scrutinized her. "You just seem kind of on edge, I guess," he said with a shrug. "Not about to jump off a cliff or anything, but. It would probably be good to relax a bit."

"It's only natural to be a little on edge," she replied with a slight frown. "We're in the beginning stages of a war, and I also have my duties to look after in the royal palace."

"You can look after important things without getting stressed out about it," Coeus said, lifting an eyebrow. "Just do them, and don't dwell on it."

"How old are you?"

Coeus glanced to the side. "That's...not important."

"You look like you aren't full-grown. Fifteen, maybe...?"

"Seventeen!" Coeus replied defensively. "I am not fifteen."

Mercury smirked. "That is only two years ahead of fifteen."

Coeus adjusted his glasses self-consciously. "You shouldn't be doing the grunt work for some Lunarian queen, anyway," he mumbled.

She laughed. "You're funny."

Coeus just hmphed in reply.

* * *

Fubuki glanced over the church with a decided lack of enthusiasm. She could think of several things she'd rather do, but she had agreed to show up... she walked through the ornate double doors and into Gakusha's office at the back of the temple. Gakusha stood up and bowed his head politely. Fubuki just glanced away awkwardly. "Fubuki," he said, "thank you for coming... I realize this sort of meeting is not your habit."

Fubuki sat down. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Why don't you tell me a little about your father," Gakusha said patiently. Fubuki's mother sat quietly on a couch in one part of the room.

"Because I don't want to talk about it?" Fubuki replied.

Gakusha smiled. "I know, but... I think it will be helpful for me to hear your side of the story. And for Ms. Jujutsu. Why don't you tell me a fond memory you have of him."

Fubuki was quiet a long time. She tried to focus on the view outside the window, to look away from the faces of Gakusha and her mother. "When I was younger, if he was working traffic or the box... he used to let me come to work with him on weekends. I'd bring like..." Fubuki looked embarrassed. "A coloring book, or a video game... and we'd talk to the people on the street. Then, for lunch, we would go to this ramen place where everyone knew everyone's names, and dad would always get me shio ramen." Fubuki shrugged and shifted uncomfortably. "Not that it matters or anything."

"Did your mother ever come with you?" Gakusha asked patiently.

"No," Fubuki answered immediately, "I don't think she did. I mean... it's not like I never spent time with my mom back then." she made a point of not looking toward her mother. "But when we went to the ramen shop together, it was special. It was just the two of us. I guess... I mean, most kids have a parent they connect with more than the other. I think me and my mother... the only thing we had in common was dad. And when he died, and things changed... when her feelings toward him changed..." she shrugged. "Now we don't even have that."

Gakusha looked toward Fubuki's mother. "Why did they change?"

Her mother was silent a long time. "Things had started to go downhill before he died, really... to be honest, he scared me a little. Sometimes he was fine, all smiles and good humor. Other times... there was something frightening about him. It was like he had a lust for blood."

"Did you see this part of him too, Fubuki?"

Fubuki was quiet. "Maybe a little," she admitted. "But... I'm not about to criticize anyone for that."

Gakusha looked contemplative. "Still..." he said, "There was something each of you saw in him."

"He had his moments," Ms. Jujutsu admitted.

"Like...?"

"Oh... little things..." she said awkwardly, glancing toward the floor. "He'd bring me home flowers, or... leave romantic notes on the bathroom mirror in the morning."

"Whenever you weren't around," Fubuki interjected, "he always used to say that the house felt like an empty cave."

"He was..." she sighed. "Dependent on me, in a way, but it was also sort of endearing."

"I see," Gakusha said. "So... there was something you saw in him." Fubuki's mother nodded awkwardly. "You know, Ms. Jujutsu... your husband is dead, and no amount of disapproval you have toward him in this life will be in aid of anything. Rather than focus on everything about him that frightened and repelled you while he was alive... why don't you remember those things about him that loved? Your warmer memories of your husband are something-perhaps one of the few things at this moment-that you can share with your daughter."

"Perhaps," Ms. Jujutsu admitted.

"Thank you for coming, Fubuki," Gakusha said sincerely. Fubuki shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe you can come again another week?"

"Maybe," Fubuki said evasively. "I'm not gonna promise anything."

"If you came," he replied, "your mother and I would greatly appreciate it. Right?" he said, glancing toward Ms. Jujutsu.

"R-right," she replied.

Fubuki sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you, Fubuki," Gakusha said gratefully. "I'm very hopeful that we can make progress together."

"Sure, whatever," she said with a scowl, standing up and moving to leave.

* * *

Mayumi had snuck away from her classes as fast she could to meet Mauros. When she got there, however, he was not in his usual spot. She had a horrible feeling, but she sat down on the bench where they had met before and waited, and waited, and hoped. But a scant hour later, Seki came to pick her up, looking perturbed.

"You have rehearsal."

"I know," she said, trying to repress her tears. "Can't we tell them I'm sick? Please?"

"Come on," he said, taking her wrist gently and pulling her way from the bench.

"Wait!" she said, drawing back. "Just... just..." she ran to a nearby clump of peonies. She tried to pick one, but the thick, woody stems would not yield; so she picked off a blossom. She grabbed a piece of gravel from a nearby path and set the peony on the bench, setting the gravel on one of its petals to weight it down. "Please see it, Mauros."

With that, she ran off toward the car and to her rehearsal.

_~EPISODE NINETEEN: FIN~_

* * *

**NEXT EPISODE**

**Coeus**: I won't give up on my brother so easily.

**Mina**: A masquerade sets the stage for a final confrontation. Love will heal the wounds of the past-even if some are determined to see it as a distraction.

**Rhea**: It's time to earn what I've always wanted-what I've always needed. It's a shame you have to get hurt in the process...

**Eros**: I'd do anything to make up for the pain I've caused you. When I see the emptiness in your eyes, I feel my crimes weigh heavily upon me.

**Tokimo**: Things are only complicated 'cause we've made them that way! Just talk it out and we'll fix everything right up. You'll see!

Next time on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO-

_"Blood of Chronos, Part II"_

**Mayumi**: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.


	20. Episode Twenty: Blood of Chronos II

"Eros," Minako said happily, putting aside her romance manga to look at his progress. He had been embroidering almost constantly the past few days; although the machine was able to handle the fairly simple black flower pattern that repeated itself across the light blue fabric, it was still a time-consuming process to cover the fabric completely and evenly. "How is it coming?"

Eros flipped up the needle and flattened the fabric with his hand. "As you can see, I am nearly finished embroidering the last dress panel. After this I simply need to assemble it, which will be a comparatively easy task, especially with the use of this device. It's a remarkable little bit of magic they've created in the time I was asleep."

"Haha, it's not magic, Eros... just a machine. But it looks lovely. I'm a little jealous." Of more than just the dress, Minako thought to herself a little sadly. The past few days, any time she was forced to do bureaucratic drudgery or felt like indulging in a rare moment of quiet time, Aphrodite provided a tranquil escape. She wondered if this was how Endymion felt on his visits to Elysion... as soon as she stepped into the warm, almost Mediterranean refuge, she felt a sense of inner peace. Eros-though sometimes a little melancholy because of recent events-was not a deterrent to her visits, either.

"I'm glad you like it, My Lady-"

"Mina," she corrected him. "Please, Mina."

"Haha, Mina. I could make one for you as well, when I am finished."

She smiled. "That's very sweet of you, but I have so many dresses already. Maybe you could magic one up for me."

"Perhaps," he said with a chuckle. "How are things going with Asuka?"

"He hasn't called," Minako said. "Not since our last date. I think he's sick of me."

"Oh, Minako, If that's so-you deserve better."

"It doesn't matter anyway," she said. "It's not like I can settle down with anyone anyway."

"Honestly, I suspect it is that ridiculous attitude of yours which causes you to chase men away," Eros replied. "It's as if you put up this-spazzy playgirl front to encourage men to love you and leave you. Then when things go south, you convince yourself it just wasn't meant to be."

Minako glanced away. "No..."

"If you were just earnest with people, I think that you would find someone very quickly, Minako. You're beautiful and kind. Even before you had your crystal, you were the leader of the Guardian Senshi, and I don't believe you could hold that position without the charisma we both know you possess."

Minako smiled sadly. "Oh, Eros... don't talk like that."

"I suppose I am being rather a tease, aren't I?" he replied. Minako tried to laugh, but a sob escaped in its stead. "Oh, My Lady... My Lady, do not cry." Eros stood up and hugged her. Where Minako had grown up, in Japan, such a gesture would almost certainly be construed as romantic... but she suspected that Venusians were a more intimate people. "You shall find your prince, do not fear-as long as you stop this nonsense about forsaking love for duty."

Minako hugged him back. "If you say so," she said-though she did not believe him. And she hardly believed that any prince could be as wonderful as Eros. How could Yamiko ever think of refusing him?

* * *

**Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo**

Episode Twenty:

"Blood of Chronos, Part II"

* * *

"Coeus!" Charon cried, banging on the door of temple of Metis. "Coeus, you gotta be in there! Com'on, open up!"

"I can feel your presence as soon as you teleport here, you know," Coeus said dryly. Charon turned; he stood behind her, looking none-too-pleased. "Ugh, I knew it had to be you... when I felt a Plutonian presence, I almost dared to hope-"

Charon de-transformed. "No word from Mauros yet?" it had only been a day or so, but still... Tokimo had hoped Mauros would be eager to patch things up. "He's probably just feeling guilty about what he did..."

"He hardly has cause to feel guilty... catching me kissing some _woman_," he said this with a dirty glance in Tokimo's direction, "when I told him to stay away from girls."

Tokimo frowned. "Was kissing me really so bad? You seemed to like it at the time."

Coeus blushed a little. "W-well, you... caught me off-guard. And anyway," he added, pushing his glasses up his nose, "That wasn't you, it was a disguise you were using."

Tokimo smirked. "I could use it again."

"I-I don't want your... alter-ego!"

Tokimo looked a little more serious. "I know I tricked you... and I really do feel bad about that, although I'm still not sure if I could have done things any differently. But I really do like you, Coeus. I love you. I loved you even though I knew that you were one of the bad guys. I like how you make boring things seem fun. I like how you smile when you're excited, and the way your hair looks like, um... something nice and shiny and blue."

Coeus looked away. "You deceived me. Like every woman I've ever cared about."

Tokimo frowned. "Hey, what I did was mean, but... you lied to me too, 'Livy.' And at least my bad deeds end at a little trickery! You tried to hurt a lotta people, and you woulda if we hadn't come in and defended justice!"

"T-that was only because... I wanted to protect Mauros, plus... p-people are so stupid, you know, and-"

"So you got a right to judge them? Hmph. Maybe I shouldn't have fallen in love with you. You really are a jerkface."

Coeus looked back at Tokimo. "I suppose... I don't have any kind of mandate to judge others, at least-not enough to kill them. It's just... back then, joining Nemesis was the only way I could save my brother. I convinced myself that I was okay with what we were doing because, well... I don't think I could have lived with myself otherwise, and frankly, I didn't seem to have much of a choice. Even I knew that I was deluding myself, though. Otherwise, what motive would there be for lying to my brother about the nature of our work? But I wanted to save him more than I wanted to be guiltless myself... I would have done anything to give Mauros a second chance, after what they did to him."

"What was that?" Tokimo asked.

"Ah, well..." Coeus looked down. "During the Rainbow Millenium, people thought of Hades-Pluto's holy land-as being cursed, a land of death. So when Mauros completed his training, they just abandoned him all alone on his holy land. He was only 10 at the time..." his voice was bitter. "And they separated him and I when we were only five. We were fairly young, but so close. It was like having half of myself torn away. I was so happy that Nemesis would give us a chance to be together again-give me a chance to protect him from the people who had hurt him before. Now... half of me is missing again, and he probably hates me-with every good reason."

"Mauros doesn't hate you!" Tokimo said, hugging him. "I saw the guilt in his eyes. He'll be back any day now, wanting you to forgive him."

"I should be the one asking for forgiveness," Coeus said. "I was the one who abused his trust."

"We all make mistakes," Tokimo said, nuzzling her face into his chest. "All of us."

Coeus blushed a little. "Uh... Tokimo..."

"I know I tricked you, Coeus!" Tokimo said. "But I love you. I won't ever trick you again. I won't tell you another lie as a long as I live. And I'll tell you all my most embarrassing secrets, if it'll make up for it! So please... can you stay with me? Please?"

"I... I don't know. I feel like I fell in love with someone else. I don't think I fell in love with you."

"Do you think I'm pretty?" She asked, backing away and looking up at him.

"Don't ask stupid questions," he said hastily, staring at her briefly and then looking away.

"Come on, be honest!" she demanded. "Do you think I'm pretty? I won't cry if you say I'm ugly."

Coeus raised an eyebrow. "You're ugly," he said.

Tokimo stuck out her tongue. "Fine, no Tokimo for you! And my mom says I have nice-"

"You're more attractive than your disguise," he said, which was true. "Though maybe 'pretty' is not the word I'd use." He looked at her more directly, trying his best not to linger his gaze on her chest. "Maybe cute. Or... athletic, perhaps."

"Is that another way of saying 'dumb-looking'?" Tokimo asked.

Coeus smirked. "Of course not. Your being dumb has absolutely nothing to do with your appearance."

Tokimo frowned. "Hey!" Coeus laughed, and she couldn't help but smile. "You never laughed when we first met, you know... but now you do. And it makes me so happy."

"Why do you say such things?" he said, trying not to get flustered. Tokimo pulled him toward her and kissed him again. Even though he knew he ought to feel betrayed, all he could feel was an indescribable warmth and happiness. Even though she didn't even look the same, it felt the same as the time before. He was totally paralyzed in this moment.

"Because I love you," she said, pulling away and staring straight into his eyes with uncanny intensity.

He was not sure how to respond. He definitely felt something toward her, and he knew it couldn't be physical attraction alone, because he had seen more attractive women before, and he felt the same way toward her even though she had looked like two entirely different people. She certainly wasn't his intellectual equal... though she had a kind of cleverness that he-that most people, he suspected-did not recognize. That he was only beginning to recognize.

"Do you love me back?" she asked him as the seconds crawled on.

"Yes," he finally said. "Yes... I believe I do."

"Hee, you had to think about it for awhile!" She said, hugging him tightly again and burying her face in his chest. She was so warm... He returned the embrace, resting his cheek against her head.

"I've never been in love before," he replied. "I suppose I was not really sure what to expect."

"Me, of course!" Tokimo said, laughing. "Com'on... let's go snuggle."

"Snuggle?" Coeus said awkwardly.

"You gotta sleep somewhere around here," Tokimo said. "We can go cuddle on your bed."

"O-on my bed?!" Coeus replied. "W-what exactly are you planning?"

Tokimo grinned mischievously. "Well, we'll put our arms around each other, and get real close, and..."

"And...?"

"Hee hee, we'll just have to see where things go from there. Com'on, show me your room."

"I don't know if-"

"Come on! You love me, right?" She nuzzled against him. Coeus could feel the exhilarating warmth rising in him once again. He felt a little fear as he realized he would like very much to show her his room.

"I suppose," he said, flustered. "But... let's try to take things a little slow, Tokimo."

"Aw, why?"

"I wouldn't want you to regret something you did because you decided you didn't like me as much as you originally thought," he said. "What if we realize we hate each other after all? Then you'd regret it..." He'd probably regret it a little, too... though probably not as much as her.

"Aw, that's super-cute, Coeus," Tokimo said, kissing him on the cheek. "Thinking of me like that. I don't think I'll regret any time I spend with you. But we can take it slow if you're embarrassed," she said coyly.

"I'm not embarrassed," he said defensively. "I'm just being realistic."

"I love you," she said. "I know that won't ever change."

"When you say that, it fills me with overwhelming happiness," Coeus said. "I don't even understand why."

"Because you love me, silly," she said. "Come on, let's go cuddle."

Coeus sighed. "I suppose," he said, smiling.

* * *

Mauros looked empty-faced toward the wall, then down at his bloody hands. How long had he been here? When was the last time he ate? He felt as though he had just sent the scythe tearing through his brother's flesh. The blood was dried into his uniform and falling off his skin as a dusty powder. He felt betrayed and like a betrayer all at once. He missed his brother. He missed Mayumi. He felt unworthy of both of them. He was a monster.

"Mauros, sweetie," Rhea said, walking into his room. Mauros looked at her, a lost and barren look on his face. She hugged him.

Mauros did not know what to think of this, but he didn't stop her. "I suppose I am not doing my job anymore," he said. "But I have hurt so many people already, I can scarcely countenance the thought of hurting more."

Rhea nodded. "It's okay, Mauros. This place isn't for one such as you."

"You don't seem like you like hurting people," Mauros replied. "Is it for you?"

Rhea pulled away from him and smiled. "There are things which keep me here," she said. "Even if I do not always relish my work. Anyway... it's not so bad. A lot of people have it coming, but you're too pure to know that, Mauros."

"Do you mean... my brother...?" Mauros said with a frown.

"Definitely him," Rhea said with a frown. "Cocky little bastard. Anyway, I'm sure you miss Mayumi."

Mauros bit his lip. "How long have I been here?"

"A week or so," Rhea replied.

Mauros paled. "Mayumi... I told her I would explain things, I... but it's not like I am worthy of her love."

"Oh, Mauros, you're far more worthy of love than your stupid brother, and he has someone. Well, she's everything he deserves, I suppose, and maybe she will straighten him out. Anyway, you belong with Mayumi. And she misses you." Rhea stepped up to his mirror and blew a kiss into its surface. An image of Mayumi gently taking away a withered peony from the park bench where they had met so many times appeared before him; she replaced it with a fresh blossom.

"Mayumi! Mayumi, I-"

"She can't hear you, sweetie," Rhea said gently. "Anyway, this is from an hour or so ago, and you're in no shape to receive her."

"I have to go to her," Mauros said. "I have to apologize..."

"She's going to a ball tonight," Rhea said, smiling sadly. "We'll go together. We'll clean you up good, and it will be the most wonderful surprise for her."

"...what's a ball?"

"Um... I'll explain it while we're getting you fixed up."

* * *

Ami couldn't help blushing a little as she came upon her priest in the gardens of Metis, an edenic retreat that was more fountain and pond than garden of the earth. She had deduced that receiving her own crystal probably meant that, like Sailor Moon, she could teleport at will. Her guess had proved correct, and she was easily able to bring herself here. Apparently, however, Coeus was receiving company already. He was leaning over Sailor Charon-Tokimo, Ami thought her name was?-and, well, necking. Ami cleared her throat a little awkwardly.

"Ah-! Um, My Lady!" Coeus jumped away from Tokimo awkwardly, blushing intensely. Tokimo giggled. "I'm sorry, normally I would sense your presence, I just, er-"

"You were distracted?" Ami suggested, smiling.

Coeus glanced away. "I suppose you could say that."

"I'm very distracting," Tokimo said complacently.

"Haha, well, I'm glad you two are not fighting anymore," Ami said. "Things seemed quite tense between you before."

Coeus sighed, resigned. "There seemed little point in denying my feelings any longer," Coeus replied. "They made themselves rather hard to ignore."

Tokimo snuggled against Coeus happily; Ami couldn't help but giggle a little. And she felt a little... well, perhaps it was envy. Her thoughts of romance had been limited to her time spent with books. "Well, I won't interrupt you two for long," she said. "I came here to let you know that Queen Venus requests your presence at a masquerade ball. She is formally introducing Eros and would like for you to be introduced as well."

"It sounds dreadfully dull," Coeus said. "I suppose they'll want me to dance..."

"Haha, possibly. Do you know how?"

Coeus shrugged. "I do. Perhaps not in a manner that they dance these days, and I hardly relish the prospect. Is Tokimo invited...?" he asked, failing to mask the hopeful note in his voice.

"Queen Venus informed me that you were welcome to bring a friend," Mercury said with a smile.

"It sounds boring," Tokimo said. "But I guess I'll be keeping Cici company."

Ami smirked. "Cici...?"

"Tokimo!" Coeus said, obviously annoyed. "Don't call me that in front of other people! Especially not my lady!"

"I think it is rather endearing," Ami said. "But I won't tell anyone your secret diminutive, Coeus. Perhaps you shall just have to come up with something cute and embarrassing for Tokimo."

"It won't work," Coeus replied. "She doesn't get embarrassed. I am beginning to see it will be a problem..."

"I want a nickname, too! Cici, you should come up with a cute nickname for me." she said, nuzzling against him. Coeus looked embarrassed.

"Does your mother know where you are, Tokimo?" Ami asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um..."

"You know, it's almost dinnertime," Ami said. "She'll probably start to get worried. And from what I hear of your mother, she'll probably call up the palace with a Naginata of her own, thinking we've detained you." Ami paused. "Does she know about you two?"

Tokimo looked a little awkward. "Well... I haven't gotten around to mentioning Cici yet. We've only been together a few days, though."

"Which reminds me, Coeus," Ami continued, "You need to go to school."

"What?!"

"You're only seventeen," she said, continuing despite the fact that Coeus obviously wanted to protest. "Even if you're much smarter than others your age, there are many things that have changed on Earth in the time that you've been asleep, and I imagine your knowledge of them is limited since you've woken up. Going to public school will be a good way to socialize and acquaint yourself with this new world. And you can take some beginner's computer science classes, which you will need to get a head start on if you want to upgrade Aidia like you've been hoping to."

Coeus frowned, but he had to admit that his lady had provided sound arguments. "Can we wait until my brother has returned?" he asked hopefully. "I do not think I could concentrate on my studies, knowing he is still with Nemesis."

Ami sighed and looked thoughtful. "We'll give it a little more time," she said. "Hopefully he will turn up soon."

Coeus nodded, his expression desolate. Tokimo hugged him warmly. She was still angry at Mauros for what he had done, but she couldn't hold a grudge against him when she could see the love for his brother in Coeus' eyes. Coeus nestled his cheek against her head. Ami doubted he would ever admit it aloud, but she could see that Tokimo's confidence and love were all that kept his demons at bay. Ami stood beside him and gave him a comforting smile. "Why don't we see what we can do about Mauros after this ball of Minako's," Ami suggested. "Maybe Sailor Pluto will have some ideas."

Coeus smiled weakly. "Thank you, My Lady," he said.

"Please," she said, "Call me Ami... or at least, Mercury. 'My Lady' sounds terribly distant, and I know my status is a sore point with you."

Coeus shrugged. "I'm priest now, I might as well accept my lot," he said. "Perhaps Lady Mercury would be suitable. Such a title is often used from a priest to his Lady as a term of both respect and endearment."

"Very well, then." Ami smiled. "Why don't you come to the castle tomorrow morning, and I will outfit you for the masquerade."

Coeus sighed. "I can hardly contain my excitement."

* * *

Tokimo opened the door to her home a little nervously. "Sorry I'm home late, mom," she said. "I shoulda called."

"I was starting to get a little worried, sweetie... especially with your double life and all. Supper's almost ready, I-" Mrs. Joshi glanced over at Coeus, who had changed into a collared shirt and sweater vest. He hadn't bothered hiding the blue teardrop-shaped jewel on his forehead. Mrs. Joshi smiled politely at the handsome young man. "Who is this, Tokimo? A new friend?" she smirked. "Something more, perhaps?"

Tokimo blushed a little bit. "M-maybe," she said. "This is Coeus, the priest of Mercury," she explained. "And, um... my boyfriend."

Mrs. Joshi scrutinized Coeus for a second. The glasses were a good sign. And he was very cute. Tokimo wasn't the kind of girl to take any guff, so he probably had a good personality. "Welcome!" she said enthusiastically. "You can stay over for dinner."

"Thank you," Coeus said, stepping into Tokimo's home. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs., erm-"

"Joshi," She said. "How old are you, Coeus?"

"Technically, I have been in a stone slumber for several thousand years," he replied. "But I have just lived seventeen summers this June."

"Haha, he talks like a prince, Tokimo," Mrs. Joshi said, blushing a little. "And he wears glasses. I like a man that can appreciate a smart look. Are you very good in school, Coeus?"

"My glasses are actually a link to the computer on my Holy Land... They have a few programs they operate on their own, as well." Coeus replied. "As for my intelligence... well, I am the priest of Mercury... you could say that I am quite exceptional where my mental faculties are concerned."

Mrs. Joshi giggled. "How very modest of you," she said teasingly. Coeus looked a little awkward but said nothing. "Well, Tokimo, if you have a boyfriend who can hope to help you on your schoolwork a little, I am hardly about to complain," she said. "I get the feeling there's more to this story than you're telling me, but we can save the explanations for dinner when your father is home. In the meantime, you two can hang out in the living room while I finish cooking."

* * *

"Ugh," Yamiko said, seeing the from tag on the box that had been delivered to her door. "I don't even want to know what's inside."

"Com'on, open it," Sayoko said, pushing the black and silver present toward her sister. Yamiko sneered. It was almost enough to ruin black.

"I don't want a present from a creepy evil stalker," she said.

Sayoko paused for a minute. "Actually, Yamiko..." she said, thumbing the ribbon. "I uh... sort of encouraged Eros to keep after you. And I uh... specifically suggested this present."

"You. What."

"He feels so awful for what he's done. I lied to him when I first went to see him and told him you'd killed yourself in heartbreak. He tried to kill himself on the spot-he didn't even hesitate a moment, it was all me and Minako could do to stop him."

"He's a monster," Yamiko said.

"And he'd agree with you," Sayoko said. "Getting to know him, I'm starting to realize... now that he's accepted his role as the Priest of Venus again, he feels all the weight of having betrayed his dearest principles."

"Well, he shouldn't have done it if that's the way he felt," Yamiko replied stiffly.

"He knows that, Yamiko. He thinks he doesn't deserve a second chance. He's right, but it's because he feels that way that I think you should anyway. And it's a lovely present. There's no point in it's going to waste."

Yamiko bit her lip. How could her sister even think of letting her date that monster? But the image of him at the theater still rang in her mind. She opened the box. It was a dress; she pulled it out and held it up.

It was beautiful. A black empire waisted gown in silk, with silver trimmings all along the edge. Underneath there was a split down the middle of the front of the dress' skirt, revealing a shift of light blue embroidered with navy flowers. Yamiko vaguely remembered the last dress that Eros had given her; this one was just as lovely. Even she had to admit he had impeccable taste. She was immediately torn by pain she associated with the man who gave her the gift and her instant love of the garment he had chosen. She picked up the card inside the box and opened it. There was a poem:

_When called up to the busy sphere of Earth  
I look upon a jewel in velvet sky  
A pale and waxen orb that has no mirth  
and heave a slow and wasting sigh.  
No jibe, no jest or merry song  
That I can say or strum for her heart's sake  
Will make from her a smile belong  
or leave the sound of laughter in her wake.  
And just as I shall never bring her joy  
I cannot bring a smile to your face  
it matters not what art I can employ  
I can't ascend from my disgrace  
And since I cannot bring a smile to thee  
I shall wither, waste, and worthless be. _

Yamiko could feel herself becoming a little flushed. "S-sayoko..." Yamiko said nervously, turning toward her sister.

"Hm?" Sayoko said, trying to pretend she couldn't care less what Yamiko thought of the dress.

"Did Eros write the poem?"

Sayoko got up from the couch and read over the poem. "Oooh, that's so sweet," she said. "No guy has ever written me poetry. Well, it's nothing I recognize, and I know my Shakespeare pretty well. I think he probably wrote it... this sort of thing is his specialty."

Yamiko frowned and brushed her fingers across the dress. Opposite the poem was an invitation to a masquerade ball that the Queen of Venus was holding. "The last thing I feel like doing right now is going to a dance," she said, eyeing the dress appreciatively.

"Oh, well... I guess I'll just have to accept the invitation on your behalf. No one knows what you look like except me and Eros, so... 'oh, of course I'm Yamiko! Yes, I'd love another cocktail...'"

"Okay, I'll go!" Yamiko said. "Ugh."

"Yay! Let's go get our masks!"

"Oh, were you invited?" Yamiko said dryly. "Why would you need to pretend to be me, if that's the case?"

"...kicks and giggles," Sayoko replied. "And blackmail."

Yamiko sighed and held the dress up against her. This was going to be awful. The last thing she wanted to see was Eros.

And yet, she realized with disgust, she could feel her pulse quicken.

* * *

"Ah, excuse me," Helios said, addressing the blue-haired young man. It was hard to be certain with his ram-horned mask whether he was the young man Queen Mercury had introduced as the guardian of Metis, but it was not many people that had that distinctively brilliant shade of blue hair. He wore a blue jacket trimmed with gold and a matching waistcoat; it was about as austere as an outfit could be at such an occasion, when garish costume was generally expected. "Are you Coeus of Metis?"

Coeus took off his mask. "Indeed, I am. You are...?"

Helios took off his own white unicorn-horned mask. "Helios of Elysion," he said, extending a hand. The Masquerade had been held at the Palace's Venus ballroom, which was located outside of the Crystal Palace proper. It was a almost fairytale like hall, all golden Rococo embellishments and ornate crystal chandeliers. A chamber orchestra played in one corner; in another, a table was covered in food and drink, including a fountain of chocolate and another of champagne. A giant swan of ice gleamed in the center of the enormous spread.

Coeus grasped it and shook Helios' hand. "It's a pleasure," he said politely.

He seemed a little cold, perhaps, but not the heartless lowlife Eros had described. "I'm glad you decided to join us," Helios said. "Eros had given me the impression that... well, it matters not."

"I was reluctant, I will not lie," Coeus replied. "But... I couldn't leave my brother on Nemesis any longer. And..." he blushed just a little. "I have come to realize that certain opinions I have held are in error."

"Hee, I seduced him and convinced him that girls weren't icky," Tokimo said with a giggle.

"Ah! Tokimo," Helios said, glancing at her mask. It was purple and covered in lace and glitter. Her dress, which was similarly purple and girlish, had cap sleeves and a rather poofy skirt. "I did not notice you at first..." how uncharacteristic.

"It's 'cause of the mask!" she proclaimed. "It's like a superhero disguise." She snuggled against Coeus' shoulder; For a moment, a look of tenderness and affection flashed across his face. Was this really the same person who had attacked Eros so ruthlessly...? Clearly, Eros had underestimated Tokimo's sincerity in pursuing Coeus.

Helios smiled. "You two make quite a pair."

"I'm the heart and he's the brains," Tokimo said confidently. "Together, we're like one super-person!"

"I'm not that cold hearted," Coeus said defensively. "And you're not that dumb."

"Aw, but we both have our strong suits, right?" She said.

"I had heard about you brother," Helios continued, changing the subject. "Is he...?"

Coeus' expression looked pained, and Helios realized Eros was quite wrong on this point of Coeus' character. If he had been using Mauros, he must regret it a great deal. "He is still on Nemesis, and it is too dangerous to attempt a rescue and I am not yet desperate enough," he replied. "I still hold out hope he may leave on his own... but I fear... he sits alone and miserable, hating both himself and me..."

"We can rescue him, Coeus!" Tokimo said, taking his hand. "We've got super-powers!"

"You don't have your crystal, Tokimo, and I am only a priest-and as such my powers are rather limited," Coeus replied.

"Perhaps Sailor Mercury would assist you," Helios said hopefully. "She has her crystal now. Her powers should be formidable. And I am sure that Lady Serenity would be happy to assist as well."

"I would not think of putting someone you care for in that kind of danger," Coeus replied. Coeus hadn't had many compunctions not long ago, Helios thought somewhat bitterly... but he supposed he should just be glad that the priest of Mercury had had a change of heart.

"Thank you," Helios replied. "But... as much as I wish to protect her, she is a sailor senshi. And as you yourself pointed out, she's far stronger and more capable than myself."

"See, Coeus? Everything's gonna turn out fine!" Tokimo said.

"I hope you're right," Coeus replied.

"Coeus!" A voice which Helios recognized as Eros' cried out, walking toward him with an enthusiastic grin. His mask was easier for Helios to remember, as well; it had a brilliant silver swan painted over Eros' eye. Helios was not sure if what relevance, if any, Coeus' ram-horned mask had. The rest of Eros' outfit was a far cry from Coeus'. His navy blue coat was covered with silver arabesque patterns; he wore a black waist coat to match and pants that were so tight Helios would have been quite embarrassed if he were Eros. "Coeus, I have been looking for you. We are the stars of the party! Why are you hiding in the corner?"

"If it isn't the very Priest of Frivolity himself," Coeus dryly replied. "Why, indeed. We both know how I love parties. And dancing."

"I know! I am quite shocked," Eros said, a smirk as visible as day across his face. He motioned to the dance floor and Queen Venus sauntered over, a glass in her hand. "I was just telling my Lady how we used to dance in the old days. And I thought to myself, why, I am sure that Coeus knows many of the dances as well, being, as he is, an educated man of a royal family. Between the two of us, we could teach our respective partners the steps. I think it would be an excellent time."

"It sounds dreadful," Coeus said. "I'm not interested."

Eros grinned. "Oh, well... If you are not skilled enough, or perhaps do not remember the steps after so long, I understand." Coeus frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

"I bet Coeus can dance better than you any day of the week, Mr. Sparkle-shirt!" Tokimo interjected angrily.

"It is my coat which sparkles, not my shirt," Eros corrected her.

"Whatever," Tokimo dismissively replied.

"I must say, Tokimo, it was wrong of me to speak so dismissively of your intentions toward Coeus. I thought you were not taking the idea of courting him seriously... but I can see in the way that you have leapt so readily to his defense that you are quite enamored of him," Eros said, regarding Coeus with a smile. Coeus glanced away and tried not to look self-conscious. "And Coeus himself seems to return your affections, which surprises me even more. You two seem to share so little in common."

"...Tokimo is kind and earnest," Coeus replied. "And imaginative."

Eros laughed. "That is certainly one word for it!" he replied. "Well. My Lady, are you ready to learn the dance?"

Minako put her wine glass down on a nearby table and Took Eros' hand. "Yes!" she said excitedly.

"Haha, as you will learn, my dear, we do not take hands for this dance-at least not right away. Helios, would you care to join along with Lady Serenity?"

Helios looked a little awkward. "I don't know if-"

"I'll go find Usako!" Minako voluntered, diving back into the crowd.

Coeus looked toward Helios sympathetically. "Venusians," he said dismissively. Helios was not sure what to say to this, not being accustomed to the idea of people actually having ever _lived_ on Venus-outside, perhaps, of Magellan castle-so he said nothing.

"It must be hard to come from a planet where people don't believe in fun," Eros rejoined.

"Oh, Coeus believes in fun," Tokimo said with a playful smirk. "We have all kinds of fun-"

"Why, look, there is Lady Serenity now," Coeus interjected as the Moon Princess walked toward them.

"So it is! Now, everyone must stand across from their partners, like so," Eros said, positioning Minako by the shoulders so that she stood a few feet across from him. "Helios, you stand in the middle, that way there shall be someone on either side to direct you through the dance in the event of confusion." Helios did as he was told, and Coeus positioned himself beside him. "Now, I shall walk everyone through the steps."

Yamiko watched somewhat desolately from a distance as Eros stood in a line with the other two priests and their partners. They wove between each other and spun in merry circles in a dance that reminded Yamiko a little of the quadrilles she had seen in Jane Austen films. Yamiko did not consider herself a fan of any kind of exercise, but she had often admired the elegant way the lines interlaced in those dances and wished she knew how to participate. Eros seemed untroubled, with a pleasant smile on his face as he directed the steps. For a moment, Yamiko imagined herself in amongst them, with Eros' hand resting lightly on her waist...

"He looks pretty fine in those tight pants," Sayoko remarked, staring appreciatively at Eros through her green sequined mask. Her dress was long and narrow and just as glittery, with a nice tall slit up the side. "And that coat. Has sort of a 18th century look to it... very classy. Heck, he just looks pretty fine in general. I wouldn't mind having a piece of that."

"Too bad he's a sleaze," Yamiko replied.

"He really does feel bad, Yamiko," Sayoko said. "I know he's done a good job of proving otherwise, but he's a good guy. He's worth giving a second chance."

"You're the first person I would think of when asking for advice on how to have a healthy relationship," Yamiko said. She frowned, glancing toward her sister. Sayoko looked crushed, and Yamiko immediately realized she had gone too far. Sayoko had had more than her fair share of heartbreak, and she doubted that the two or three glasses of wine Sayoko had drunk would encourage her to casually brush Yamiko's thoughtlessly uttered words aside.

"Sayoko, I-"

"I'm going to go say hi to Eros," Sayoko said, trying to sound matter-of-fact. Yamiko was not sure what made her feel worse; the fact that she had made her what was probably her only and dearest friend in the world miserable, or the fact that she was going to go find comfort by spending time with the lover who had used her. Yamiko tried to ignore the part of herself that wished she could follow Sayoko and pretend that she was very interested in the food.

Mayumi sipped a glass of sparkling cider disinterestedly beside the table of food.

"You don't look like you're having fun," her date commented. Kyo Kageyama was the lead singer of the current hot Kei band, Gardenia. He was very attractive, with his platinum-bleached hair arranged just so and his outfit even more outlandish than Eros, the guest of honor. But his attractiveness was polished with hours of make-up and maintenance. Mauros was handsome without even trying, even just wearing the dullest and most uninteresting of clothing.

Mayumi sighed. "It's not your fault," she said apologetically. She could hardly blame her date for this elaborate publicity set-up, which had been her father's idea. Perhaps he had decided he did not like the eyes that Seki made at her. "There's... someone on my mind."

Kyo smiled a little apologetically. "It's tough if you like someone in this business," he said. "Everything's such a spectacle. Even if you decide to be with them, the cameras are everywhere. There's a girl I like at my academy, but... I can't bring myself to say something and drag her into this carnival."

Mayumi smiled. "That's so sweet of you," she said. "But you should tell her anyway. It's her decision, if it's worth putting up with or not-don't you think?"

He smiled. "Maybe you're right. What about you? What's the boy you're into like?"

Mayumi blushed. "He's really tall... and he has really long hair. He's a westerner."

"Ah! It sounds like I could hardly compete with him, anyhow," he said with a chuckle. "Well, there is no reason for us to suffer boredom while we're here. It looks like this Priest of Venus is leading some sort of dance. Do you think you'd like to see if they'd let us join in?"

"I suppose," she said, trying to muster as much enthusiasm as possible as Kyo took her hand.

"Let us take a moment's pause to get a drink between dances," Eros announced, moving toward the nearby table where he had set his glass of wine.

"Eros!" Eros turned to see an overly enthusiastic Sayoko, clearly attempting to compensate for something that had upset her. Eros gave her an enthusiastic hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said with a wink as he pulled back. "In that outfit, you must be leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake."

"My, Eros, you flirt!" She said with a giggle. "Anyway, speak for yourself. Did you paint those pants on?"

"Oh, you don't like them?" He replied, glancing down. "I like to think they flatter my finely toned legs."

"Your... legs?" Sayoko replied, looking downward raising her eyebrows skeptically.

"Sayoko, where are you looking?!" He said, feigning shock. "How lewd."

Sayoko couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Ah, excuse us," Eros glanced behind him to see a man with pale hair and an ornate outfit of gold and white. Standing beside him was a girl with shining silver hair, her mask and dress a brilliant red streaked with cold blue. "Sorry to bother you, Your Holiness. I am Kyo Kageyama, and this is Mayumi Hatsuhara... we couldn't help but be intrigued by the dance you were so impressively executing. Do you plan to continue at any point in the evening?"

"Indeed," Eros replied, "I was only briefly pausing for a drink and some conversation with my next partner, Sayoko Hoshino."

Kyo and Mayumi bowed politely. "You must be the heir to the Hoshino group," Kyo said pleasantly. "It's an honor."

"Ah, that's actually my sister, Yamiko," Sayoko replied, returning the bow, which showed a rather advantageous shot of her generous cleavage. Sayoko smiled as charmingly as she could muster at the extremely attractive Kyo. "Though she's still too young to take part in the business."

"I see," Kyo replied.

Eros put down his drink. "Shall we go another round? I'll teach you the steps. Come along," Eros offered, taking Sayoko's hand and motioning for Mayumi and Kyo to follow him as he gathered the other couples once more.

* * *

"Well," Rhea said, adjusting Mauros' mask, "Let's go find Mayumi, shall we?" The mask was black and covered in gold scrollwork; its shape formed the outline of a dog's face, two striped ears flopped over at the top of the head. Rhea picked up someone's abandoned champagne and sipped it as she filtered through the crowd, Mauros' tall but slouched figure behind her. Even hunched over, he attracted stares; his dark, chestnut hair had been pulled somewhat forcefully into a braid, since Rhea did not have time to deal with its tangles, but it was impressive nonetheless. He wore a long, leather coat that was covered in golden scrollwork. It was as if Anubis himself had walked into the party.

Rhea strode toward the line of dancers, confident in her own shimmering, pale lavender costume. She walked over to the line of dancers and stared for a moment. "Ah..." she said, somewhat troubled.

"What is it?" Mauros asked.

"It seems... there is someone else..." She pointed toward the silver-haired girl and Mauros frowned as he saw a stranger's hand lying gently on her waist as Mayumi stared adoringly in his eyes. Amongst the same crowd was Coeus, dancing with a dark-haired girl.

Mauros could feel a sensation inside himself like being torn apart. He felt guilty, angry, jealous and heartbroken all at once, though he did not know half of the words to describe the sensations. His heart plummeted to his stomach and then rose to his throat; he was choking, choking...

"I'm sorry, Mauros," Rhea said with a sigh. "You're such a sweetie. It's nothing personal."

Mauros screamed and tore at his mask. It felt as though it was sucking everything out of him; every ounce of his being was being consumed by the impassive face of his mask.

Then everything was darkness.

* * *

Eros' eyes widened. "Stop the dance!" He shouted. There was screaming and scattering attendees as the music halted. A tall, foreboding man with long brown hair-Mauros, Eros was sure of it-fell to the floor beside a purple-clad woman. "Morpheus," Eros muttered ominously. She disappeared as soon as she had come.

The golden scrollwork on Mauros' costume pulled itself off of the black leather and flew about the room like chaotic, glowing streamers. At the same time, The shadows cast inside the ballroom elongated ominously until the room was momentarily a confused jumble of streaming golden ribbon and darkness competing in a chaotic dance. The golden scrollwork reached out to touch the elongating shadows, spearing straight through anything in its path-furniture, chandeliers-

Eros could see one of these ribbons reaching out to Sayoko's shadow, now grossly elongated and bloated. It would not waste the time to move around her...

"Sayoko!" he cried, pushing her ahead of him. Her face was blank as she watched him. Eros looked down to see a crimson trail of blood pouring down his jacket...

"Eros!" she screamed.

Eros smiled weakly. "My good... shirt..." he muttered carelessly as he looked down at the golden ribbon that had borne itself through him. He watched, his vision fading, as it pulled the shadow on the wall behind him through his body, back towards Mauros...

Coeus wasted no time as soon as he realized who the shrouded figure was. He threw his mask to the floor and pulled a rapier and thin dagger, seemingly out of nowhere, into each of his hands. "If only I had had my glasses, I would have known something was amiss far sooner...!" he spat.

Out of the jumble of shadow and ribbon, a three-headed dog materialized, its body a mass of black and golden arabesques. It resembled a giant wolfhound, it's body lithe and muscled. The dog gave out a low growl.

"Charon prism power, make up!" Tokimo cried, transforming into Sailor Charon in a blurry whir.

"Luna prism power, make up!" Lady Serenity transformed into Sailor Luna in a mass of shimmering pink ribbon.

"Io prism power, make up!" Mayumi cried, transforming into Sailor Io in a swirl of fire and ice.

Yamiko watched in horror as Eros slumped onto the ground, his body bloody and lifeless. She gasped in horror. Oh, Serenity, not again... Yamiko ran along the edge of the ballroom as fast as she could until she reached Eros' side. Helios was kneeling beside him, a look of concern on his face. "Is he...?" Yamiko looked toward him.

"He is dead," Helios replied, "But I can heal him. You should focus on the fight-keeping that creature away from him and me is the best thing you can do to help right now."

Yamiko's face was wan and wrinkled in fear and worry, but she nodded. "Phoebe prism power, make up!" she was momentarily wreathed in shadow before transforming into Sailor Phoebe.

"Venus love-me chain!" Sailor Venus cried out, roping the monstrous youma. It growled angrily and tried to pull itself free.

Coeus did not waste any time; he took advantage of the Cerberus' moment of struggle and ran past the monster to the side of his brother's inert form. He checked his brother's pulse; the barest flutter of life lay there. "Mauros," he murmured sadly, beginning a prayer of healing.

"Chaos compass!" Charon materialized between himself and the beast, in time to send a nasty gash across the face of the demon. Looking up, Coeus realized that the beast had managed to snap some of Venus' restraints in the time that he had been beside his brother. It backed up, its face twisted in a scowl. Instead of blood, a bizarre, smoky substance began to leak from the wound. Charon held her Naginata menacingly toward the beast.

"Double drill!" Sailor Io cried, sending a spiral of fire and ice toward the dog. It cut through the ribbon of the creature's tail, leaving a smoking trail where it had once been.

"Take Mauros to Metis," she said. "You'll both be safer there, and you can heal him!" Coeus did not argue with her perfectly sound suggestion. He began to mumble a prayer to Metis.

"Wait!" Io cried. "Please... take me with you! There's enough senshi here to deal with the youma."

Coeus paused for a moment, considering, then nodded his head. They both disappeared, along with Mauros' prone form, from the golden ball room. Tokimo raised her naginata once more. "Space-time blast!" The monster howled as many of its ribbon-like coverings began to pull away from its shadowy body.

"Shimmering Crescent!" Sailor Luna cried. Tiny crescent shaped blades flew toward the dog and ripped at the loose ribbons. The Cerberus charged forward blindly, sending it's nose ramming into Sailor Luna's stomach and crashing her into a nearby commode. She groaned in pain.

"Luna!" Helios shouted, turning away from Eros as he finished healing him. Eros groaned and sat up, where he could see Sailor Phoebe standing in front of him.

"I'm okay," Sailor Luna said weakly, standing up. The loose ribbons that hung off the Cerberus, suspended in the air, attached themselves back to the dog's body-though they were now shredded and torn in several places, leaving gaping and irregular holes in the golden scrollwork. "What about Eros?"

"A little weak, but I shall be fine," Eros replied. Phoebe glanced back, just for a moment, to see Eros' face. He smiled tenderly at her; Phoebe blushed and turned back toward the monster. She had to focus on the fight.

"Dark garrote!" she cried, and a hand of cloudy darkness materialized from her fingers and swirled around the dog. She briefly remembered how that attack had come to her, when she had worried so desperately about Kane's prone and bloody body. She was at a dance again, and the same man had been hurt, only this time for real. Only now, everything had changed. The smoky shadows gripped the dog's necks, but it hardly seemed to notice.

"I must go, Yamiko," Eros said from behind her. "Please be safe." Yamiko tried to pretend she didn't hear him, but a feeling of warmth rose within her at his concern. No-she must focus.

Sailor Mercury turned on her computer visor as she tried to find any weak spots in the huge, shadowy dog. A rush of data momentarily poured across her screen.

"My lady," Coeus' voice called into her ear. "Can you hear me?"

"Coeus?" Sailor Mercury replied, surprised. "How did you-"

"Your visor is something of an antique," Coeus replied. "Passed down through the generations of the holders of Mercury's sailor crystal. Now that Aidia is resurrected, it is networked to the mother computer, just like my glasses."

"Is Mauros all right?"

"I have healed him and given him a mild sedative. I thought it best that we talk to him after we have dealt with this."

"That is probably true," Mercury replied.

"I am using the data from your visor," Coeus informed her. "The youma appears to be an amalgamation of shadow, similar to the demons my brother used, roped together with those golden ribbons. If you manage to destroy the ribbons, the youma should dissipate."

Mercury nodded. "Mercury aqua mirage!" she cried. She felt a sudden unexpected surge of power within her. Jets of water streamed toward the dog youma, impacting the scrollwork; in a single blow, half of the ribbon-like coverings were gone and the dog was leaking a kind of hazy gas at every turn.

"Mercury! Where did that come from!?" Venus shouted, impressed. Mercury was not entirely sure herself.

Phoebe watched as Sailor Mercury dissolved half of the ribbons, leaving the dog weak and disoriented. It started to move toward her, panting heavily; Sailor Phoebe held out her hands. "Dark-"

She screamed as a paw pinned her to the ground. She struggled, cursing her helplessness.

"Sailor Phoebe!" Venus shouted.

_My lady-please help her!_ Venus couldn't help but be a little startled as Eros' voice echoed through her mind.

"Eros! Are you okay?"

_Never mind me, I shall be fine. If Yamiko is danger, please help her, for my sake!_

"Venus love and beauty shock!" Sailor Venus cried. She could feel a powerful warmth within her, and a swirl of flowering chains whirled at the dog. She easily yanked the creature off of Sailor Phoebe and tore loose most of the remaining scrollwork besides. Now the dog was more smoke than youma, barely held together at its joints by a few scraps of gold ribbon.

Sailor Phoebe stood up, ignoring her seeping, bloody wounds. "Dark garrotte!" she cried fervently. The shadowy claw ripped off the last few scraps of scrollwork, and the youma dissolved into the air like a cloud of steam. Sailor Phoebe panted heavily and sunk to the floor.

Sailor Venus ran up to her, concern evident on her face. "Hold on, I'll heal you," she said. She closed her eyes and the copper crystal appeared between her palms; it glowed like a warm sunset, and Sailor Phoebe could feel a warmth washing over her as her wounds disappeared. Helios had already gone to his own lady's side.

"That was amazing," Sailor Mercury said, coming up to Venus. "It didn't realize how much more powerful our crystals would make us."

"I think the priests may have had something to do with it," Venus replied, helping Phoebe up. "Before, when Eros was with me on Earth, my attacks were not much more powerful than usual. This time, when he was on Aphrodite, it was... different."

"Then perhaps they are lending us their power," Mercury replied.

"Yamiko!" Sayoko cried, running over to her sister. "Are you okay?"

Sailor Phoebe hugged her sister tightly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "Sayoko, about earlier, I-"

"You didn't mean it. It's okay," She said, hugging her back. "I know."

"I'm sorry," Phoebe replied, trying not to cry.

"Phoebe," Sailor Venus said. "You should know... earlier, when you were attacked... Eros begged me to help you. Not that I wasn't going to anyway," she added hastily.

"I see," Sailor Phoebe replied, her uniform dissolving around her and turning her back to Yamiko. Her heart sped as she realized she was still wearing the dress that Eros had made for her. Even now, the vaguely sweet scent that always clung to him hung in the folds of the fabric.

"Would you like to speak to him?" Venus offered. "I can take you to Aphrodite. It's beautiful there, and he would be ecstatic to see you. He's been desolate since that day, Yamiko... though he tries to remain strong for my sake."

"Stop trying to guilt me into a relationship!" she snapped. "He... he hurt me. Why should I trust him?"

Venus frowned. "Well, to start," she said, "He was willing to die for your sister." Yamiko clenched her fist and looked away. "Anyway, if you hate him so much, why did you come? Why did you wear the dress he slaved away on for a week?"

"Yeah, well..." she trailed off lamely. "If he cares so much, he can come see me himself."

Venus smiled a secretive smile. That sounded like an invitation to her.

* * *

Mauros groaned as he sat up. He was on Metis, the land where he had grown up before leaving Coeus for Hades all those years ago. He was sitting on a bed in his old room; on one side, he was flanked by his brother and a dark haired girl; on the other, Mayumi and a woman with blue hair he did not recognize. He sat up, alarmed. "Brother...!" he turned toward Mayumi. "Mayumi..."

Mayumi knelt over and hugged him with enthusiastic abandon; Coeus' embraced him by the shoulders with only slightly more decorum. "Mauros," Mayumi said happily, nuzzling her face into him.

"I'm so sorry, Brother," Coeus blurted out. Tokimo could see tears forming in his eyes. "I spoke so complacently about women being corrupt and evil, and forbade you from seeing your love... only to fall in love myself, like a hypocrite. I was wrong to keep you and Mayumi apart without even knowing her... and my stupidity has caused you suffering. To make matters worse, I lied to you about the nature of what we were doing... it was my hope to protect you and spare you suffering, but... you deserved to know the truth."

"I am sorry I hurt you, Brother," he said, putting an arm around Coeus and laying his head against his chest. Being close to his brother again was warm and comforting... he realized now how awful he had felt without his other half, like those desolate days on Hades. "Even if what you did was wrong... hurting you like that... I feel like the worst family you could have..."

"Don't say that," Coeus said. "I can't imagine a better sibling."

"And, Mayumi..." Mauros put his other arm around the silver-haired girl. "I left you there, after I had said I would meet you... it was... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Mauros," she interjected. "I was so worried about you. I'm just glad you're okay. When I saw you on the floor, I just... I..." Mayumi paused nervously. "Mauros, the way I feel about you... I love you, Mauros."

Mauros felt a rush of joy Mayumi's words. "I love you, too, Mayumi," he said. "Differently than anyone else. Being with you feels... intense. Almost too good to be real."

Mauros looked over at Tokimo. "You're Sailor Charon," he said. "We've met before. I... it seems that you are the one my brother has..." Mauros felt a slight tinge of jealousy, but he realized he felt the same way about Mayumi. If Coeus did not begrudge him that happiness, it was hardly fair that he did so, either. "That you are someone dear to him."

"Heheh," Tokimo said, turning toward him with a smile, "It's true. He acts all frosty, but he's warm and cuddly on the inside."

Mauros couldn't help but smile at this. "Listen, Mauros," Coeus said. "When I lied to you about hurting the Sailor Senshi... it was wrong, but part of the reason I did that was out of fear that joining Nemesis was the only way to survive." Mauros looked at his brother more seriously and wrapped his arms around Mayumi, who was still holding him tightly. "We may stand a chance against Nemesis if all of the planets of Sol band together. But in order for that to work, everyone needs their crystals to be at their full strength."

Mauros frowned. "You mean..."

"We would need you to take on the mantle of the priest of Hades once again," Ami said.

"You wouldn't hafta live there all alone anymore!" Tokimo said fervently. "We don't have dumb ideas anymore. You could live on Earth most of the time, and even when you do have to spend time on Hades, we would get you, um..."

"Maenads," Ami interjected. "We would find some suitable candidates for Plutonian Maenads, to assist you and keep you company when you do have to spend time on Hades."

"And you could go to school with me," Coeus said. "So during the day, you would be on Earth."

"...Will Mayumi be at school, too?" Mauros asked, looking toward the silver-haired girl.

"I go to an all-girls school," Mayumi said, "And transferring would be...difficult. But we could spend time after school together." She smiled. "You could come with me to rehearsal. I'll have a press conference and announce we're dating and that I'm Sailor Io... I..." she paused. "Well, we can talk about it more later."

"...okay," Mauros said reluctantly. "I will become the priest of Hades once more."

"I'm sorry, Brother," Coeus said.

"It's okay," Mauros said. "There's no reason to be afraid anymore... because I have you and Mayumi now. I'm just... so glad I don't have to be alone."

"Com'on, let's go!" Tokimo announced.

Mauros nodded and stood up. He moved over to the middle of the room, to its most spacious part.

"You must say that you revoke your power and privileges," Coeus told him. "Or else your powers will have the taint of the black poison crystal."

Mauros nodded. "I revoke my power and privileges," he shouted. Immediately, the downward facing teardrop pointed right side up and he reverted to his beast form. He was a huge, three-headed black greyhound covered in long, silky hair; the brows of his three canine heads were a contrasting shade of chestnut, and his underside was the same brownish hue. As bizarre-looking as he was, Mayumi couldn't help thinking he was a little cute. He mumbled a prayer to himself and disappeared in a hazy blur; Tokimo was instantly pulled along with him.

* * *

They appeared on the most amazing building Tokimo had ever seen. There was a monumental x-shaped fissure in the ground. They stood on top of a huge tower-a tower _inside_ of the deep chasm. The tower was shaped like a compass, with its points nested inside the grooves of the chasm in the ground; the center of the building was a circle, and another ring, a sort of encircling hall, concentrically surrounded it. What looked like dry river beds converged on each corner of the chasm on top of the plateau.

"Wow," Tokimo said, looking around.

Sailor Pluto held up her Garnet Rod, alarmed, and glanced toward the hulking Cerberus and then the unconcerned Tokimo. Two girls she did not recognize-Nyx and Hydra?-stood nearby. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"Mauros is a good guy now," Tokimo explained. "He's gonna join us."

"The fates of three are the fate of one. As we live, so do we die. As we thrive, so do we wither. Do you accept?" Mauros asked.

"Yup!" Tokimo said enthusiastically.

"Yes," the two girls who Pluto assumed were Nyx and Hydra replied simultaneously.

Pluto looked at Mauros a little warily. It was hard to get enthusiastic about standing behind an enormous dog with three heads, standing on top of a giant tower in a desolate wasteland. On the other hand, Tokimo seemed to trust him. On the other hand, _Tokimo_ trusted him, and she wasn't sure how much Tokimo herself could be trusted.

There was a long pause. Two of Mauros' heads bowed down awkwardly and the other tilted its head. "U-uh... d-do you accept?" he asked.

"I am considering my options," Pluto said. "And trying to decide if you can be trusted."

"Pluto, my lovely," a loud voice called out, seemingly from nowhere. "You have always been the voice of caution! Well, that is just as well." A man appeared. He was taller than anyone Pluto had ever seen-taller than she had thought people could be. He must have been at least eight feet tall. His skin was ebony black, and he wore a thigh length cloak of burgundy red. Around his arms and legs and beneath his black breeches were taut strings of bright white beads. Sailor Pluto realized with some alarm that his feet were bare. His eyes were wine-red, like her own and Mauros', and his hair streamed around him in knee-length emerald microbraids. He wore a black mask and upon his forehead was the lemniscate, the sign of infinity. "It is good to have a voice of reason in any triad. If I had left Charon and Mauros in charge, Cauldron only knows what trouble they would get up to."

"Who are you?!" Pluto said, brandishing her Garnet Rod toward him. "I do not know you. Why do you speak of me with such familiarity?!"

The man frowned and took off his mask. He was frighteningly handsome. "You don't know your own father? Well, you can hardly be blamed. I did not take an active part in your upbringing. Or that of my other two children, for that matter... Tasia and Mauros."

Pluto's jaw dropped. "You couldn't be..."

The man bowed, a smirk on his face. "Chronos, the almighty god of time," he said, bemused. He stood up once more. "Perhaps you've heard of me...?"

Mauros immediately bowed down. "Forgive my impudence," he said humbly. Sailor Pluto was not sure if she should follow suit.

"Pshaw, stand up, doggie," he said, waving his hand casually. "If I am a god, then you are demi-gods, and I refuse to stand on formalities with my own children in any case."

"So we're all your kids?" Tokimo said, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "I don't remember you. And I don't look a whole lot like either one of them."

"You're only half-siblings," he replied. "You do not share a single mother between you."

"What do you want?" Pluto asked warily. "What interest could a god possibly have in us?"

"It makes me happy to see my children together again," He said. "So I thought I would come see you, despite that I am generally not allowed to interfere in the affairs of mortals-though I feel you hardly qualify. Anyhow, a little rule-bending is hardly liable to be noticed, especially if it is the father of time himself who is doing the bending. For all that the others like to speak of everyone beneath so haughtily, they do not know-as I do-that we are all bound to be eaten and spat out by the cauldron in our due time."

"Even you?" Pluto asked.

"Even me," he replied. "That will be an interesting day, the end of time itself! I do hope I come back out again in one form or another, or that shall really be the end of things for good. Let's hope that doesn't happen. Anyway," he continued to the blank stares of the Plutonian senshi, "There are a couple of other things. First of all, please do accept Mauros' offer, Pluto. It grieves my heart to see my children so distrustful of one another! And it concerns another point of my interference."

"Which is...?" Pluto said.

"You must, at all costs, assemble the other crystals," he said, this time far more seriously. "You mother has made a huge gambit. If you don't gather the crystals, it will fail, and my sister will come."

"My mother? Isn't she dead?" Sailor Pluto said, confused. "And who is your sister?"

"I cannot tell you any more," he said. "It is not even just that I am bending the rules to speak to you. The more I concern myself with affairs outside of the cauldron, the harder it becomes for me to see the flow of time-and the more I risk attracting the notice of my sister. Farewell, my children. Though I seem like a callous soul, it warms my heart to see all of you alive and together again." With that, he disappeared as suddenly as he had come.

Pluto was really not sure what to think. Mauros looked toward her uneasily. She sighed. "Go on," She said.

"As we live, so do we die. As we thrive, so do we wither. Do you accept?" He said.

"I accept," Pluto said.

"I accept!" Tokimo said.

"We accept... again," Nyx and Hydra said, somewhat bemused.

Pluto could feel a warmth in her breast; it bloomed outward and formed into the shape of a crystal. It was a cold, bright, silvery color that glinted with an inner light. The other three held lotus-shaped crystals in front of their breasts as well. A light spread from her crystal and washed across the holy land; a torrent of water rushed down the dried riverbeds and four monumental waterfalls poured down each corner of the chasm. The tower became glossy and black, a kind of iridescent obsidian, and solemn pine trees and scraggly deciduous trees grew out of a deep green plain. It was an austere but noble land, which suited Princess Pluto just fine. Mauros nodded toward Nyx and Hydra amiably and then sent them back to wherever they had come from.

"Do you suppose he was who he said he was?" Pluto said aloud. "Chronos, the god of time..."

"I definitely sensed an immense power from him," Mauros replied. "And he was huge. There were legends in our time that the great ones who watched over the Cauldron were giants among humanity."

"And he knew who we were," Tokimo added. Though Pluto supposed that was not her name in this guise; Tokimo now wore a rather decadent purple dress with black trim and a flared skirt. As if that were not enough, a long cape trailed behind her at the shoulders, its edges decorated with delicate geometric patterns. What had Chronos called her-Tasia, was it? "I didn't even know who _I_ was, at least my past life, until a few minutes ago."

"So you can remember everything now?" Pluto asked.

Tasia nodded a little sadly. "Yeah. It wasn't you, by the way-the one who killed me. It must have been your mom."

"My mother..." Pluto trailed off. Her mother seemed an odd person to be making a gambit of any kind concerning the present time, though she supposed with a senshi of time, anything was possible.

"He's right, you know," Mauros said. He was in his human form once more. "We should try to gather the other crystals. Starting with Morpheus... I suspect he is not entirely enthusiastic about his place as Nemesis' servant."

"What makes you think that?" Pluto asked.

"Just a feeling," Mauros replied. "It's a bit hard to explain."

"We should probably call a council to deal with these things anyhow," Pluto replied. "It is long past time to share what we have learned of Nemesis so far with the others."

* * *

Sayoko had gone out to stock up on liquor, leaving Yamiko to her own devices on a rather dull Saturday afternoon. She tried reading and had begun to watch three different movies, but nothing held her interest for more than a few minutes. Yamiko grunted as the buzzer on her callbox went off. Sayoko had probably forgotten her keys again. Whatever, she could unlock the door remotely from her cell.

There was a long pause; eventually, the buzzer went off again. Had she forgotten her phone, too?! Yamiko forced herself off the couch and clicked the callbox speaker. "Sayoko," she said irritably, "If you're spacey enough to leave your keys _and_ the cellphone here-"

"I am not Sayoko," Eros' voice replied. "...I hope you are not disappointed?"

Yamiko turned scarlet red and her voice died in her throat. "Mmff," she garbled meaninglessly.

Eros was silent for awhile. "Perhaps you would do me the honor of listening to a song which I have recently heard and reminds me a great deal of you," he continued. Yamiko's eyes widened as she heard the sound of an ethereal stringed instrument, something vaguely between a guitar and a zither. She felt quite awkward as Eros began to sing over the callbox speaker.

"Black is the color of my true love's hair.  
Her face is like the roses fair,  
The prettiest face and the neatest hands,  
I love the ground whereon she stands.

I love my love and well she knows,  
I love the ground whereon she goes,  
If her no more on earth I see,  
I can't serve her as she has me."

"Y-y-y-you can come up!" Yamiko stuttered, unlocking the door to her apartment building. "Just please... don't sing in the vestibule!"

"As you wish," he replied.

Yamiko was about to sigh in relief when she realized she had just invited Eros into her apartment-when there was no one else home. She glanced down at her clothes and smoothed out her skirt and tucked in her cotton blouse. Running into her room, she grabbed a frilly blazer and buttoned it. "Ah, why am I thinking of clothes?!" She exclaimed aloud. "I can't believe I just-agh!"

There was a knock on the door. Yamiko half felt like running into her room and shutting the door and half like rushing to the door and swinging it wide open. "Ah-um-It's not locked," she called out, sitting on the couch and trying to compose herself.

"I see," Eros remarked from the other side of the door. "...May I come in?"

"Ah-y-yes! I suppose! Of course!" she stuttered.

There was a moment's hesitation, but Eros opened the door. His hair fell like a golden curtain around his pale face. Yamiko could not read his expression, especially in her agitated state. He wore a velvet blazer with a loosely buttoned collared shirt and tight-fitting jeans. It was the closest she had seen him since she found out the truth about Kane. She blushed as she realized he was, if anything, even better looking than he had been as Kane, if a little less to her taste. His pants left very little to the imagination, and Yamiko could see that Eros was a good deal more fit than his persona, who had been rather lanky. His posture was completely confident and relaxed, and Yamiko became even more nervous as she realized that she had invited an older man into her home whilst she was unattended. An older man who was very attractive and very interested in her. He held a pear-shaped guitar case in one hand. He closed the door behind him and put it down.

There was an extended, awkward silence. "s-s-sit down," Yamiko squeaked. "Please."

"You are agitated," Eros said unhappily. "I should not have come. My Lady indicated that my presence might not be unwelcome-"

"Your Lady?" Yamiko said, her heart sinking a little.

Eros smiled. "Queen Venus. That is the title of address from a priest to his queen."

"Oh," Yamiko said, trying not to sound relieved. "I thought it must be her, but when I saw you dancing at the masquerade, I-I-I don't know, I thought maybe-"

"She is my niece, Yamiko," Eros added. "There is nothing between us, if that is your fear. I am sorry if you misconstrued our relationship-Venusians are a great deal more affectionate than the Japanese. Hugging and kissing, even on the lips, is common among friends and family."

"I see," Yamiko murmured, blushing.

Eros paused. "Would it displease you-if there were something between us?"

"Why do you ask that?" Yamiko blurted with embarrassing speed.

"You seemed upset at the thought that there could be," Eros replied. "Which gives me cause to hope."

"Hope...?"

"You are not ignorant of my feelings for you," Eros said. Yamiko thought she heard the slightest tinge of annoyance. "I think you know what it is I hope for."

Yamiko blushed and frowned. "E-Eros, that is-on Venus they may-"

Eros chuckled. "That was not what I meant! I hope that you return my feelings of love."

Yamiko felt a surge of relief. "O-of course! I knew that."

Eros looked thoughtfully out the window. "Yamiko... you looked very beautiful at the masquerade. And you fought very bravely," he said.

Yamiko looked away. "Thank you," she replied.

"As I said... you have made me dare to hope... ought I to?"

Yamiko looked at the ground. Eros' face looked pained. "Very well then," he said, picking up the guitar case. "If you wish me to leave-"

"N-no!" she said, louder than she intended. "Don't go."

He put his guitar case back down. "Then I will stay." He hesitated, then sat down beside her. "Yamiko... how do you feel about me?"

Yamiko's heart pounded almost painfully in her chest. "I'm afraid," she said. "I'm drawn to you, but... I'm afraid."

"Do you think I will hurt you again?" Eros asked.

Yamiko thought of Eros pushing Sayoko out of the way to take a deadly blade through the heart. "Maybe a little," she said. "Not like I was before. I suppose there is a part of me..." she frowned deeply. "I feel almost unlovable sometimes... or as if I cannot possibly be happy with you, because I'm bound to mess things up..."

Eros gently brushed his fingers across her cheek and turned her faced toward him. His eyes were frightening and arresting. She wanted to look away... "You are not unlovable," he said, his voice dead-certain. "And if you are not happy with me, the fault will be with myself... never with you.

"If I spend an eternity making up for the sorrow I caused you," he continued, "And bring a smile to your face every day of your life... perhaps I will just approach deserving you."

"Eros..." Yamiko lamely mumbled, blushing furiously. He leaned toward her. There was something hungry in his eyes. It scared her... but...

"You must meet me halfway on this," he said. "After what I have done to you, I won't kiss you unless you are willing to let me."

Yamiko did not feel entirely in control of herself when she leaned in towards him. He kissed her, and for a moment, the darkness that hid in every corner of her was scattered by brilliant light.

_~EPISODE TWENTY: FIN~_

* * *

NEXT ARC

**Seisui:** If only I had the power to transform... everything would be different. I would have respect... I would have...

**Rhea****:** Everything you want can be yours. For a price. For a terrible, terrible price...

**Erik:** Why did not I not tell her when I had the chance? Why did I think of my pride and not of her happiness?

**Rhea:** I gave up everything for this. If I give this up, what did I sacrifice so many for?

**Ouranos:** The image of her haunts my nightmares. I lost everything, because of ill luck and one golden child.

**Fubuki: **Some people need some fucking independence. Some people need... need... oh, fuck it.

**Hyperion:** Will you take the filth of the earth under your wing so casually? Will you trust them despite their treachery?

**Oceanus:** You are all pawns in my game. No one can play as I do.

**Kazeko:** No... no... i-i-it's impossible...!

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO:

ARC 3: SENSHI OF DESPAIR

**Yamiko:** Are you lost in this darkness?


End file.
